


Two Doors Down

by Suki_Babe



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Asmodeus Being an Asshole, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Boys In Love, But mostly fluff, Camille Belcourt Being An Asshole, Doctor!Magnus, Drug Abuse, Enemies (sort of) to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots, Idiots in Love, Let me stress this: THEY'RE IDIOTS, Light Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parties, Party, Past Relationship(s), SO MUCH FLUFF, Sebastian Being An Asshole, Slow(ish) Burn, Slower burn than I had originally intended, Sorry Not Sorry, Virgin Alec Lightwood, drunk boys, hella smut, i still don't know how to tag, kind of, let's see how many tropes i can fit in one fic, maybe more angsty than i had first intended, new relationships, professor!alec
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-10-05 01:24:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 47,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17315450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suki_Babe/pseuds/Suki_Babe
Summary: Alec: New job, new apartment, new town, new everything. Of course, Alec had grown up in Brooklyn, but a lot can change when you’re away from home for five years. Alec was more nervous about this move than he had been about anything in a long time. All he wanted was to unpack, relax, and prepare for his first day as the Art History teacher at the Pratt Institute. So why on earth had he let Izzy convince him to throw a party on Friday night?Magnus: Magnus lived a good life, he was one of the best doctors at the NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, plus he had plenty of friends. Of course, like anybody else, he got lonely sometimes, but that was far better than the alternative. After both Camille and Sebastian, Magnus had locked his heart up and never planned to open it for anybody… Until one particular Friday night, his neighbors were throwing a party two doors down.Or: I recently watched the movie Dumplin’ and was inspired to write a fanfiction based off of a Dolly Parton song.





	1. Two Doors Down

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I came up with this fic after watching Dumplin' and became obsessed with Dolly Parton. All of the chapter titles will be based on Dolly Parton songs lol. I needed a break from writing all of the angst for my other fic so this one will be pretty fluffy. 
> 
> Anyways, Enjoy!

The blaring sound of the alarm clock hit Magnus’ ears before he was even awake. After a few seconds, he slowly blinked his eyes open and groaned. He reached over and turned off the clock and looked at the time. 4:30 AM. Magnus knew that staying up until midnight drinking with Raphael was going to be a bad decision, but he had done it anyway. Winter always made him feel like shit, not to mention that Camille had decided to be especially cruel to him at the hospital the day before. It had been years since they broke up, but she still felt the need to pop in every once in a while when they were working the same shift. 

After a few minutes, Magnus sighs and decides that he definitely needs to get up if he wants to make it to work on time. He dreads the 15 hour shift that lays before him, but he also knows that getting paid time and half is almost worth the overtime. Almost. 

Magnus eventually drags himself out of bed. He immediately goes to the kitchen to start making his coffee. While it brews, he goes to the bathroom for a quick shower. He feels gross after the previous night and definitely doesn’t want to show up to work smelling like whiskey and sadness. Once he finishes his shower, he wraps the towel around his waist and heads back into the kitchen to retrieve his coffee. He pours himself a cup and fills it with more sugar than he really needs. What can he say? Sweets are his weakness. Plus, the sugar rush will also help him stay awake. 

After he finishes his first cup of coffee, he feels a little bit less like a walking zombie. He then puts on a pair of maroon scrubs, styles his hair, puts on some light mascara, and is out the door. Magnus only lives about a block away from the hospital so he walks if the weather permits. It’s January, so it’s definitely chilly, but it’s not cold enough to excuse driving the short distance. Magnus breaths the cold air into his lungs and tries to relax a bit. He knows that today is going to be a long, stressful day. But aren’t they all?

The walk to the hospital only takes Magnus about five minutes. He takes a deep breath before entering the building. He’s definitely going to need more coffee if he plans on surviving today. He’s working in the ER today, and it’s always busier at the start of the year. It’s like people think they can survive anything just because they made a bunch of bullshit resolutions. Luckily for Magnus, his only resolution is to avoid any romantic endeavors for another year. He’d already been doing it for two, so it definitely won’t be an issue. 

Magnus finally opens the doors and is immediately hit with the chaos that is the ER in the NYU Langone Hospital. He quickly rushes to the back office, clocks in, and then gets started. His morning is quickly filled with patients. A girl who broke her arm while trying to do a cartwheel to impress her grandmother, a boy who was pretty scratched up from falling off an elliptical, and finally, a woman who forgot to tell her new step mother that she was allergic to peanuts. Magnus is pretty grateful that he hasn’t had anything too serious, but it's still proving to be a very stressful day. He decides around 3:00 PM to take his lunch break. He’s munching on a pad thai when the devil incarnate herself walks through the door to the break room. 

“Oh, Magnus! I didn’t realize you were here today.” 

Magnus rolls his eyes. Of course Camille knew that he was going to be in today. She knows better than anyone that he always works the first week of January, but she always loves to play coy. 

“Camille. I would say that I’m glad to see you, but I’m not in the mood to lie.”

Camille, acting mock offended, places her hand on her chest, “Oh no! I’m so hurt, Magnus. I thought that we were friends.” 

Magnus can see the evil smile stretching across her face from the corner of his eye. He really doesn’t know what she’s  up to today, but he’s not in the mood. 

“What do you want Camille? I only have fifteen minutes left and I would rather not waste my time with you.”

Camille laughs, and Magnus honestly thinks that he’s never heard anything more fake in all of his 32 years of life. Camille always wants something, and they both know that. He just hopes that she'll get to the fucking point already.

“Well, I was wondering, since we’re such good  _ friends _ , if you could talk Dr. Aldertree into taking me out sometime.” She dances her fingers across Magnus’ shoulder’s and it takes all of his strength not to smack her hands away. Her touch once felt like home, but now it feels like a million needles pricking his smooth skin. 

“And why exactly would I do that? Aldertree and I don’t converse unless we have to.”

“You’re going to talk to Aldertree or I’ll tell the boss man all about your little issue. You know, the fag thing?” 

Magnus barks out a laugh. Of course she was bringing this up again. She's honestly so homophobic that she actually thinks Magnus will immediately be fired for being bisexual. That may be true in some places, but Magnus knows there were plenty of out and proud employees in the hospital to not worry. He figures Camille probably knows the same, but she is always keen on reminding him just how much he disgusts her. 

“Go ahead. Most everyone here knows anyway. Besides, Aldertree is married and I don’t meddle in relationships. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have actual work to do.” Magnus collects his trash and heads towards the door. Camille immediately steps in front of it, blocking Magnus’ only exit.

“You honestly don’t get it, do you? You’re an abomination Magnus. You’re disgusting and everybody here knows it. Can you imagine what your mother would have to say if she was still here? How disappointed she would be in the man that you’ve become?”

Magnus steps closer to her, causing her to almost hiss in disgust.

“I think the only thing my mother would be disappointed about is the fact that I once loved you. You don’t to get to act all high and mighty with me all of the time. You’re nothing to me but a spiteful bitch. Now get out of my way.”

Camille looks at him once more and then walks out of the break room. Two days in a row she decides to reopen old wounds and Magnus honestly has no idea why. As much as he acts like he doesn’t care, like she doesn’t bother him, his mother is still a very sore subject. There’s only one thing that Camille is good at; attacking where it hurts the most. Magnus stands by the door for a second, taking a little bit of time to push Camille as far from his mind as possible. He grabs the handle, and gets back to work. 

 

…

 

Alec wakes up to an overly excited Izzy jumping up and down on is bed. He groans. 

“Wake up big bro! We have to get this place ready for the party tonight. You haven’t even finished unpacking and we have to make plenty of space for the decorations.” Izzy yells, still bouncing.

Alec turns to look at his clock. 6:15 AM. That is far too early for any human being to wake up, but he knows she’s right. Well, partially right. He really does need to finish unpacking, but he’s dreading the party tonight. His sister already dragged him to a New Year’s Eve shindig three days ago, and he’s pretty sure he never needs to drink that much again. Or go to a party again. But Alec Lightwood keeps his promises, and he knows that throwing this party will make Izzy smile. 

Eventually, he rolls over and looks at Izzy. 

“I hate you.” he whines. 

“No you don’t!” Izzy says, quickly planting a quick kiss on is cheek and running out of his bedroom. “Now hurry up! We have lots to do. Everyone will be here soon to help set up.”

By everyone, Alec knows that Izzy is talking about Jace, Clary, Simon, and Lydia. He isn’t exactly sure why six people are needed to set up for a small welcome party, but he’s starting to realize it probably won’t be as small as Izzy had promised when she suggested the idea. He just hopes his neighbors won’t bang the doors down or call the cops. 

He rolls over in bed and immediately falls off the side. He had to downsize from a queen to a full, so he’s still getting used to the size. Especially considering he’s basically a giant among men. Alec quickly recovers, feeling much more awake due to the pain in his hip, and heads to his en-suite bathroom. He quickly brushes his teeth and tries to tame his hair. He’s going to wait to shower until they’re all done unpacking and setting up. There’s no point in taking a shower now to just get all sweaty and gross from all of the physical activity he'll be doing today. After throwing on an old gray t-shirt and some shorts he heads out to the living room.

Everyone has already arrived, chatting and munching on the pastries Simon brought from his mother’s bakery. Alec is still not sure how he feels about Simon, but the pastries certainly smell delicious. 

“Ah! There’s the man of the hour. How was the drive over?” Jace says, pulling Alec in for a hug. Alec’s parents took Jace in when he was 10 after his parents died in a skiing accident. While it had taken a little while for Jace to open up, they had become fast friends. Best friends since, actually. Jace had also visited Alec many times while he was teaching in California, even if Alec hadn’t been able to make it home at all. 

“Hey Jace, it was fine. Very long.” Alec says, yawning.

“One black coffee, stat!” Lydia announces, “I may not have seen you in 3 years, but I still know how you take your coffee.” 

Alec laughs, but also feels kind of bad. He really did intend to come home more, things just didn’t quite work out the way that he had planned in California. 

“Thanks Lydia, I appreciate it.” Alec says, pulling her in for a side hug as she kisses him on the cheek. She has to go on her very tippy toes to reach him, but she still does it every time they see each other. Alec briefly dated Lydia in high school, but she figured out he was gay pretty quickly. She has no problems with it, and just like with Jace, they have been friends ever since. 

She hands him a mug with the phrase “world’s greatest dad” on it and fills it to the brim with dark coffee. Alec chuckles at the mug, remembering that Izzy gave it to him when he turned 18. He knows that Izzy has always considered him a better father figure than his own dad, so it makes him smile.  

Alec greets Simon and Clary and pops a mini eclair in his mouth. They stay in the kitchen for a few more minutes, exchanging pleasantries, until Izzy clears her throat in order to gain everyone’s attention. 

“Alright everyone, we have a lot to do before the party tonight, so we better get started. Alec and Jace, work on unpacking the rest of the living room and Alec’s bedroom. Clary and Simon, start preparing food and drinks for the party. I’ll give Clary my card and you can buy anything you need. Finally, Lydia and I will work on planning and setting up the decorations. Sound good to everyone?” Everyone nods, not daring to question any of Izzy’s plans. Once she gets her mind set on something, it’s best to just step out of her way and follow her rules. They all get started, and Alec starts to think that maybe the party isn’t such a bad idea after all.  

 

…

 

Somehow, Magnus makes it through the rest of his shift without ripping his hair out. He had a few more patients that were quick fixes, but then he had a boy with a burst appendix who had quite possibly the most difficult mother on the planet. He understands being worried for your child, but it was his job to take care of patients and she certainly doesn’t know more about the field than he does. No matter how many times she threatens to sue him. 

Luckily, he manages to avoid Camille for the rest of the day and is just clocking out when Catarina walks into the breakroom.  

“Hey Mags, Mr. Boss man wants to see you before you head home.”

Magnus groans. Had Camille actually decided to go all the way to Mr. Garroway and tell him that Magnus is bi? Little does Camille know that Luke and Magnus are actually quite good friends outside of work and Luke is already fully aware of Magnus’ sexuality. It just sucks that he can’t go home right away and relax. He has another 15 hour shift tomorrow and has no plans besides eating and sleeping. 

“Let me guess Camille decided to pop in and give Luke a nice visit?”

Catarina laughs, “Yeah, but I don’t think that’s what he wants to talk to you about. Don’t worry, he said that it wouldn’t be too long of a chat.”

Magnus nods. Anyone else might’ve been worried, but there was no way Luke is going to fire Magnus. He's one of the best doctors at this hospital and is willing to work the obscene hours that no one else wants. 

“Thank you Catarina,” Magnus says, hugging her, “We must get together soon. I’ve been dying to hear all about you, Ragnor, and sweet pea.” 

“Of course! You just have to stop working so much first.” Catarina gives him a wink and then heads back out the door. 

Magnus had met Catarina back in med school, before she was the head surgeon at the hospital. Cat had been dating a grumpy british man named Ragnor, and they had all gotten along swimmingly. Now Cat and Ragnor are married with a 5 year old daughter named Madzie. Magnus considers them his family, and he knows they feel the same. 

He finishes clocking out, grabs his bag, and then heads to Luke’s office. Once he reaches the door, two stories above where he had just been, he knocks lightly.

“Come in Magnus.” 

Magnus opens the door and smiles at his friend. 

“How’d you know it was me?” 

Luke laughs, “Well, aside from the fact that I just sent Catarina to go get you, I would also recognize the sound of those ring adorned fingers anywhere.” 

Magnus and Luke had both started their medical internships at the same hospital, but Luke took more to the direction of the corporate side of the hospital whereas Magnus stuck with working in the field. While Luke is technically Magnus’ boss, he knows that Luke sees him as an equal just like he did when they first started. 

“So, what do you want to talk to me about?”

“First of all, I fired Camille.”

“You what??” Magnus isn't all that surprised, but he’s also been working with her for so long that it seems too good to be true.

“She came prancing into my office spouting some bullshit that I should fire you because you like guys. I told her that bigotry of any kind would not be tolerated in this hospital and sent her home.”

“Wow Luke, I really don’t know what to say… Thank you. I’m sorry that ever dated her.”

Luke smiles, “No judgement here, but there is something that you can do for me in return.”

“Of course Luke. Need me to finally find you a suitable woman to fulfill all of your fantasies?” Magnus laughs, but Luke just rolls his eyes. 

“No, I do just fine in that department thank you,” Magnus is about to add a snarky comment when Luke stands and places a hand on Magnus’ shoulder. “I need you to take a break.”

“What? A break from what?”

“A break from work. You’ve been working at this hospital for almost 10 years now and the last time you took a vacation was for Peru 4 years ago.” Magnus groans. He had been hastily banned from Peru after that trip and hasn’t really gotten around to travelling since. 

“Look Magnus, I’m worried about you. You have no social life outside of the hospital, you’re working insane hours all of the time, and you joke about trying to find me a girl when you haven’t been on a date since you and Camille broke up.”

“That is not true, I’ve been on plenty of dates in the past two years.” 

Luke sighs, “You and I both know that’s a lie Magnus.”

Magnus goes to protest, but Luke cuts him off, sitting back behind his desk. 

“You have over three months of PTO built up. As your boss, I’m ordering you to use at least a month of that time. I’ve already talked to all of the doctors, and they’ve all split up your shifts. I already know that you’re going to try and say no, but you don’t have a choice in the matter. You’re taking a month off whether you like it or not.”

Magnus just stands there for a second. A month off? What could he possibly do with a month? He hasn’t taken a month off since before he started med school. 

“What on earth am I supposed to do with an entire month away from work?”

“I don’t know Magnus, see your friends, travel, maybe get laid. You can do whatever you want with the time off except for work. You’re only 32, live a little.” 

Magnus scoffs, “You can’t be serious Luke.”

“Oh, but I am Magnus. Dead serious. Now get out of my office and go plan what you’re going to do over the next four weeks. Your break starts tomorrow.”

Magnus is going to try and convince Luke out of this until he sees the look on Luke’s face. There’s definitely no way Magnus is going to get out of this one. Not a chance. 

 

…

After Alec and Jace finally finish unpacking and organizing his room it’s almost 6:00 PM. The party starts in two hours and Alec hasn’t even seen the progress the others are making in the living room since noon. His stomach rumbles, along with Jace’s.

“Finally,” Jace says, exasperated, “How do you have so much stuff?”

“That’s funny coming from the guy who used to own two copies of every single one of the Backstreet Boys albums on vinyl. You didn’t even own a record player!”

“It’s the principle of the thing Alec. you could never understand. Now, if I’m not mistaken, I smell pizza on the other side of this door and I can hear it calling my name.”

Alec laughs and then follows Jace to the kitchen. Once he opens the door the various smells hit their noses and Alec realizes just how hungry he actually is. Without even looking around Alec heads right to the kitchen counter and grab a slice of sausage pizza. He takes a big bite and audibly moans in appreciation. 

“Look bro, we know you  _ really  _ like sausage, but maybe keep it down a bit.” Izzy says. Everyone bursts out laughing while Alec turns as bright as a tomato. Alec never really came out as gay, everyone just kind of figured it out. Of course, everyone besides his father was jazzed about it, but Alec still struggles with it on the daily. After Alec calms down a bit, he takes a chance to look around at the decorations. He has to give it to Izzy and Lydia, they certainly work very well together. Now, if they both would realize they’re perfect for each other, everything would be great. They lined the ceilings with blue fairy lights and set up streamers along the walls. They moved the furniture around a bit to make the space seem bigger and there's a big, sophisticated banner with the words “WELCOME HOME ALEC” hanging above the windows. They managed to make Alec’s mediocre two bedroom apartment look like a stylish penthouse and he really appreciates it. 

Then, he moves to look farther in the kitchen at Clary and Simon’s work. His eyes widen as he takes in all of the different foods that they made. There are nachos, various chips and dips, cookies, cupcakes, and a whole cheesecake. 

“Woah guys, you went ham with the decorations and food. Thank you so much, you didn’t have to do any of this for me.” Alec might be getting a little emotional, but he missed these guys. More than he realized. 

“Of course dude, it’s been five years in the making.” Simon says, smiling at Alec. 

Okay, maybe Alec does like Simon. 

“Just wait until you see the drinks we made. Tonight’s gonna be a great party.” Clary winks at Alec and then continues frosting the cupcakes she’s currently working on. 

Izzy runs over to Alec and attacks him from behind with a hug.

“I’m glad you like it big brother! But you stink. You’ve gotta shower before the party! Everyone will start showing up in an hour. And don’t worry, I bought you something special to wear tonight.” Izzy winks at Alec and then returns to Lydia to finish up the last of the decorations. Alec rolls his eyes. The thing about having a sister who loves fashion is that she always wants to play dress up. Even as an adult. 

Alec finishes his third slice of pizza and then heads to the bathroom. He jumps in the shower and only takes five minutes to wash everything. He dries off and then wraps the towel around his waist. He wipes away the steam on the mirror, looks at his reflection, and sighs. Alec is fully aware that he’s not bad looking, but he also feels like all of his limbs are too long for his body. He’s too tall for the shower head and almost too tall for the mirror. He’s fit, works out regularly, but it seems that no men have ever really taken a liking to him. Except for Jonathan. But he made a promise to Izzy that he would never let that relationship define who he is, so he refuses to consider it a factor in his chronic singleness. He sighs and then decides that if he’s going to be staring at himself in the mirror he might as well try to get ready. He styles his hair, brushes his teeth, and moisturizes his face. Many men don’t moisturize and Alec thinks it is an absolute travesty. Smooth skin is such a turn on. 

Izzy knocks on the door, “Hurry up Alec! Everyone will be arriving in half an hour and I have to get you ready!” Alec laughs.  _ I have to get you ready,  _ even if Alec protested there was no way he was getting out of this one. 

“Okay Iz, just let me put on my boxers and then I’ll be out.”

He hears her heels click away from the bathroom door. She must already be changed for the party. He throws on his black tight boxers (because he knows whatever Izzy puts him in will most likely also be tight) and opens the door to his bedroom. Izzy is sitting on his bed wearing a white, skin tight dress with two slits around her waist. She’s wearing red pumps and her hair is draped around her face in loose curls. 

“Finally,” she exclaims, “let’s get you ready.”

It turns out that Izzy bought him a dark teal button up shirt and some ripped black skinny jeans. While they are both a size smaller than Alec would prefer, he likes the outfit. She rolls the sleeves up to the middle of his forearms and demands he wears his black lace up dress shoes. She also attempts to tame his crazy hair but eventually gives up. The mess on top of his head listens to no one. By the time she’s finished, a few people have already arrived. He walks out of the bedroom and starts to greet everyone. So far, on top of the people who helped set up, Maia, Jordan, Meliorn, and a few people that Alec doesn’t know have showed up. The music is loud, but he still manages to greet everyone and politely accept their gifts. He sets all of the various presents on the table by the window and then hears the door open again. 

“Alec! It’s been too long.” Luke pulls Alec into a hug before Alec has any time to protest, not that he would. Luke is Clary’s step dad and he and Alec always got along well.

“Hey Luke, How have you been?”

“I’ve been good man, just basically running a hospital,” Luke laughs, “but good.”

“That’s great. We should get drinks sometime and catch up.” Alec says, smiling. He’s pretty sure that Luke is a father figure for at least half of the people at his party. Luke just has this wisdom unlike anyone Alec's ever met. 

“I agree. I’ll let you get back to your party but I just wanted to say hello.”

“Thanks Luke, I appreciate it.” 

Luke pats Alec on the shoulder and then goes over to talk to Clary. Alec doesn’t miss the way that Luke’s eyes meet Maryse’s when she walks in.   _ Interesting  _ Alec thinks to himself. Maryse then walks over to Alec and wraps him in a warm hug. 

“Alec, it’s been too long. I missed you.”

“I missed you too mom, I’m sorry I couldn’t visit more.” Alec definitely feels guilty about all of the things that he missed when he was away, especially when it comes to his mother. 

“What matters is that you’re here now. I probably won’t stay too long, I don’t particularly want to watch all of the things my children will get up to tonight.” Both Maryse and Alec laugh. 

“That’s completely understandable, thanks for coming Mom.”

Maryse smiles and hugs Alec again. He missed his family while he was in California. It definitely feels like he's finally coming home.

 

…

 

Magnus makes it home from work around 9:00 PM. He strips the scrubs off of his tired body and immediately falls asleep face down on his bed. It isn’t until 11:00 that Magnus is rudely roused from his slumber by the thumping of a bass somewhere down the hall. Magnus’ head is slightly sore and he really doesn’t appreciate the loud noises that seem to be all a few apartments down. He knows that no one lives immediately next door, so he wonders where the horrible sounds might be coming from. He drags himself out of bed and heads to the bathroom. 

He looks into the mirror and realizes he looks like absolute shit. He didn’t have time to take off  his makeup before he crashed. His day had been abysmal to say the least, and all he wants now is to sleep for an entire month and then return to work. Magnus groans at just the thought of how he’s going to spend his time off. He can spend more time with his friends now, but they all have jobs and significant others to worry about. Magnus only has his cat and his love of alcohol. 

The thumping against the wall continues and Magnus makes a decision that he’s going to go down there and tell whoever it is to turn the damn music down. He fixes his hair and makeup (because he’d be damned if he didn’t look his best to go scold the neighbors) and then puts on his yellow and blue striped pants with a white collared shirt. He slips on his shoes and heads out of his apartment. He discovers that the noise is coming from apartment 28, two doors down from his. He waltzes up to the door and knocks loudly. He waits for a second and just as he’s about to knock again the door swings open.

“Sorry, are we being too loud?” 

All of Magnus’ previous thoughts go out the window as he stares into the most beautiful hazel eyes he’s ever seen. And in that moment, Magnus is thoroughly and utterly fucked. 


	2. Here I Am

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the other, but I hope you still enjoy!

“Sorry are we being too loud?” 

Alec is trying his best to act much more sober than he actually is. He had been having so much fun at the party (surprisingly) that he hadn’t thought about how loud they were all being. 

Not only was he having a hard time keeping it together because of the alcohol, there is also the most beautiful man he’s ever seen standing right in front of him. And it definitely isn’t the alcohol talking.

It takes a minute for the man to respond, but when he does, Alec is even more surprised by the rich, deep voice that comes out of the most beautiful lips. Lips that Alec definitely wants to taste right now. Okay, that might be the alcohol talking. 

“Oh, no. You’re not being too loud. I just didn’t recall anyone living in this apartment, so I thought I would stop by and say hello. Clearly, you are enjoying your stay thus far.” The man says, raising an eyebrow and smirking. 

“I’m Magnus.” Magnus reaches his hand out and Alec takes a moment, but eventually is able to pull himself together enough to shake it. 

“Alexander, uh-I mean-Alec. My name is Alec.”

“Well,  _ Alexander.  _ It is lovely to meet you.”

If this were a movie, Alec would actually explode from the way Magnus saying his full name made him feel. Alec would be fine if no one besides Magnus ever said his name again. 

“N-nice to meet you too, uh, Magnus.” 

Magnus chuckles.  _ Shit,  _ Alec thinks,  _ can’t you stop being a blubbering idiot for one second Alec? _

“Well, I’m sorry for the intrusion. I hope that your night continues to be swell.” 

Magnus says, still chuckling a bit. Before Alec has any idea what he’s doing, he reaches out and grabs Magnus’ bicep. Which, in hindsight, is not the best plan because Alec really hadn’t expected there to be so much muscle. He imagines other things that Magnus could do with those arms and then snaps himself back into reality.  _ You’ve known the guy for like two seconds, chill the fuck out.  _

“If you wanted, you could come inside for a bit. There’s plenty of food and drinks.”

Magnus smirks, and Alec immediately realizes what a weird request he just made. 

“I mean, you totally don’t have to come inside either. We just met and it might be kind of a weird question. You know what, just forget-”

“I’d love to Alexander. Although, I do believe I would be fine with just the tall drink of water standing in front of me.” And that, as the blush quickly rises to his cheeks, is the moment Alec realizes that Magnus is utterly shameless. He smiles despite the fact that he probably looks like a tomato and beckons for Magnus to come inside. 

 

…

 

Magnus follows Alec inside. He really doesn’t know what on earth he’s thinking. For all he knows, this man could be a murderer and this party could be some kind of sacrificial ceremony or something. But something about Alec makes Magnus think he’s probably safe. I mean, look at him. Those puppy dog eyes could fool anyone into having a drink or two. 

Alec really wasn’t lying when he said there was plenty of food and drinks. Many people had obviously had their fair share of both, but it looked like they had barely made a dent. Alec opens the fridge and turns towards Magnus. 

“There’s basically any kind of alcohol you could possibly want here. My friends went a bit overboard. What do you like to drink?”

“Well, normally, I just drink whiskey alone on my couch. But since it is a party I think I’ll have some sangria.”

Alec laughs and then grabs a fresh wine glass, filling it with homemade sangria from the fridge.  

“Thank you.” Magnus smiles awkwardly. He is starting to realize that this might be a bit more awkward than he thought… He has just walked into a strangers home where he most likely knows nobody. He’s about to say something else when a very drunk man comes up and wrap his arms around Magnus. Magnus is startled at first, but then he recognizes the man who has enveloped him. 

“Magnus! My dude, what are you doing here?” Luke exclaims, his words a bit slurred from the alcohol. 

“Luke?”

“Of course my man. Who else would I be?”

Magnus then turns to a very confused looking Alec. 

“You know Luke?” Magnus asks.

“Uh, yeah. Known him since I was a kid. He’s my friend Clary’s step dad and my moms uuhhh… friend. How do you know him?”

Luke cuts in “Magnus here is my employeeee. And my friend, but don’t tell Magnus I told you that. He’ll get an even bigger head than he already has.” 

Magnus laughs, feeling a lot less nervous than he had before. 

“Anyway, I gotta get back to Maryse. I’m glad you’re  _ clearly  _ enjoying your break Magnus.” Luke looks between Alec and Magnus and then leaves to speak with a very beautiful woman. Magnus assumes that’s the Maryse he was talking about. 

“So, you know Clary?”

Alec chuckles nervously, “Yeah, she’s pretty close friends with my sister. She’s actually here tonight.”

“Well, it seems I made the right decision coming over tonight. For more reasons than one.” Magnus takes another long sip of his sangria and eyes Alec up and down once again. He watches Alec blush and then swallow dryly. It would seem that the attraction is most definitely mutual. Alec then quickly turns away and grabs Magnus’ arm to pull him along. 

“Clary!” Alec yells, his voice cracking a bit. Magnus smirks. He hasn’t had this kind of affect on someone in a very long time. Not that he had really been trying.

“Huh? Oh, Alec! There you are. Izzy and I were just looking for you.” Clary smiles, and then realizes who’s standing next to Alec. She squeals and then pounces on Magnus in a tight hug. 

“Magnus!! What are you doing here? I didn’t know you knew Alec. Well actually, how do you know Alec? I would think that he wouldn’t even be able to speak in your presence, he’s always so nervous around-”

“Clary!” Alec yells a bit too loud, “Magnus is my neighbor.”

“It truly is lovely to see you biscuit. It’s been a while.” Magnus then notices the tall woman standing by Clary. 

“Hi there, I’m Isabelle.” The woman shakes Magnus’ hand, eyeing him a bit suspiciously. 

“It’s lovely to meet you Isabelle, I’m Magnus.”

“And how did you say you know Alec, Magnus?” Izzy narrows her eyes a bit, tightening her grip on Magnus’ hand.

“Down tiger,” Alec says, grabbing Izzy’s arm, “Magnus is my new neighbor. Don’t  be so suspicious, he already knows at least two people here, both of whom you would trust with your life.”

Izzy sighs, “Fine, but I’m watching you Magnus.” She walks away and starts talking to a blonde woman on the other side of the room. She’s certainly feisty, but Magnus has a feeling that he’s going to like her. 

Clary then introduces Magnus to a few more people while Alec goes back to entertaining his other guests. Magnus is now pleasantly buzzed after his third glass of sangria and he honestly can’t remember having this much fun in a very long time. He chats for a bit with Simon, Clary’s childhood best friend, and then he hears someone call his name. 

“Magnus? Is that you?” He turns around and sees curls that he would recognize anywhere.

“Maia! How lovely it is to see you. It’s been far too long.” Magnus wraps Maia in a hug.

“And whose fault is that Mr. Doctor?” Magnus and Maia both laugh, but he can tell there’s a hint of hurt behind her words. He really has been neglecting all of his friends. It’s unintentional of course, he's just been so caught up with work that he hasn’t been very social. 

“It’s a pretty small world, huh?” Alec says. Magnus is a little stared, not realizing that Alec has returned to his side. 

“It certainly is,” Magnus smiles. 

“So, how do you two know each other?”

“We uh, we don’t really,” Alec chuckles nervously, “Magnus is my neighbor. He stopped by to say hello and then I invited him to join the party.”

“Right. Because I’m sure Magnus’ only intention is to be _ friendly  _ with his new neighbor. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think that I spotted a very cute redhead that I intend to get to know.”

Alec and Magnus both laugh and bid Maia a fair well. It’s already 1:00 in the morning but Magnus isn’t nearly as tired as he was before. 

“Alec darling!” Magnus watches as a very drunk woman walks up to them. 

“You didn’t tell me that you were bringing a booyy to this party. Hello there, my name is Maryse. I’m Alec’s mother.” Magnus laughs while Alec looks absolutely mortified. 

“Hello Maryse, I’m Magnus, Alexander’s neighbor. I believe you know my friend Luke.”

“Oh do I.” Maryse says with a wink, and Magnus watches Alec’s face turn even more red. Magnus just continues to laugh and shakes the woman’s hand. 

At around 3:00 everyone starts to leave. Magnus bids Alec a farewell and walks back to his apartment. He feels giddy. Which might be because of the alcohol, but Magnus thinks that it might have to do with a certain brown haired man who has the most delicious neck tattoo Magnus has ever seen. He plans to ask him about it the next time they see each other. If they see each other again. Which he thinks they will. 

  
  


…

 

Alec sighs, he’s actually a bit disappointed that the party has come to an end. It’s interesting because he hadn’t been looking forward to it at all earlier in the day, but now he thinks that he should maybe throw a few more parties in the future. And that definitely  _ isn’t  _ because of Magnus. Not at all. 

Izzy, Lydia, Simon, Jace, and Clary have all stayed to help him clean up. Granted, they aren’t getting a whole lot done due to the fact that they’re all plastered. But Alec appreciates it nonetheless. Eventually, they all give up and start passing a bottle of tequila around the living room. 

“So, Alec, who was with that super hot dude you were talking to tonight?” Jace asks, everyone just stares at him for a second. “What? That dude was a total smokeshow and you all know it.” 

They all laugh, but then wait for Alec to respond to Jace’s question. 

“Well, that’s Magnus. He’s my neighbor. Clary and Maia both already know him so you might as well be asking them.” Alec has sobered up a bit at this point, but then he takes a big swig of the tequila. He isn’t quite ready for reality to set in yet. 

They all eventually move the conversation away from Magnus, but Alec still can’t seem to get his mind off of his neighbor. Alec has certainly been attracted to other men before, but Magnus made him feel different. Up until this point, Alec had never been sexually attracted to someone. Which seems strange for a 28 year old man, but it was the truth. Now, all he could imagine was knocking on his neighbors door and attacking him. After everyone eventually falls asleep, Alec heads to his bedroom and has dreams of painted fingernails scratching down his back. 

 

…

 

Magnus wakes up with a pounding headache. He definitely drank way too much last night, especially after drinking so heavily the night before. As much as Magnus can handle his alcohol, he is certainly not immune to hangovers. He checks his phone for the time and when he realizes it’s already noon he jumps out of bed. He only has a couple of hours before he has to be into work. 

After quickly trying to untangle himself from his sheets, he remembers what Luke had told him the day before. For the first time since Luke announced Magnus’ forced break, he feels glad. He crawls back into bed and falls asleep for another hour. 

At 1:00, there’s a soft knock on his door. He groans, but eventually pulls himself out of bed. He throws on his silk robe and goes to the door. There is a very tall man standing in front of him and it takes his tired brain a second to realize who it is.

“Alexander, what do I owe the pleasure?”

Alec scratches his neck nervously and then holds a mug out in front of him. 

“I-uh, figured that if you were feeling half as bad as I am today that you might need this.”

Magnus takes the mug and smells. Coffee. 

“How kind of you. Please, come in.”

Alec walks in and looks around. Magnus wonders what Alec thinks of his apartment. For some reason, he starts to feel nervous. He wants Alec to like his apartment, to approve. Which is weird because they only met last night. 

“You have a cool place. It’s much more decorated than mine is.” Alec turns around and pauses. Magnus is confused for a second but then realizes that he never finished tying his robe. He’s only wearing tight black boxer briefs underneath, so his chest is on full display. Alec just stares at him for a second and then looks away, pretending to continue studying the decor. Magnus smirks, such a gentleman. He should probably get dressed though, he certainly doesn’t want the young man to feel even more embarrassed than he already does. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to change. Make yourself at home, I’ll only be a minute.”

Alec nods and Magnus heads into his bedroom. He quickly runs to the bathroom and looks in the mirror. He doesn’t look too bad, but certainly not his best. He mentally thanks himself for having a quick shower before going to sleep last night. He then heads back into his bedroom to throw some clothes on. 

 

…

 

Alec looks around a bit more before deciding to sit on the couch. He isn’t exactly sure what he was thinking when he decided to come over here, but he’s certainly not disappointed. He had been greeted by the most adorably disheveled Magnus. It wasn’t until he was already inside that he noticed Magnus’ chest on full display. It makes his mouth dry even thinking about it. He feels like a sexually repressed teen all over again. He supposes that he might also be a sexually repressed adult, but he tries not to think about the fact that he’s a 28-year old virgin very often. He’s not exactly ashamed of it, he’s never really wanted to have sex with anyone before, but he knows that a lot of people might judge him for it. He hopes that Magnus won’t. If they’re going to be friends and all.  _ Friends,  _ Alec thinks. That’s all that they are, just friends. He needs to get his thoughts under control before ruining this thing before it’s even started. 

When Magnus reemerges from his room he’s wearing a navy blue long sleeve with some black ripped skinny jeans. His hair is done now, spiked up but still floppy over his face. He’s also not wearing any shoes, glittery blue toes on full display. Alec smiles a bit, thinking about how adorable Magnus must look while painting his nails.

“Enjoying the view?” Magnus chuckles and then sips some more of his coffee. 

“Oh, um, sorry I was just-” Alec stars but Magnus just waves his hand and heads towards the kitchen.

“I’m only joking Alexander, are you hungry?”

“A bit, but don’t worry. I should get out of your hair.” Alec says, moving to get up.

“Don’t be silly! You only just got here and I have plenty of Bakso left over for the both of us.”

Alec swiftly sits back down, “Bakso? I don’t think I’ve ever had that before.”

“It’s an Indonesian dish. It’s more widely known as Indonesian meatballs. They’re very delicious, I promise.” Magnus reheats the meatballs and then brings the food to the living room. Alec takes a bite and moans, the noise going straight to Magnus’ crotch. 

“I assume that means you like it?” Magnus laughs. 

“Oh, sorry. Yeah, it’s really good. Where did you learn how to cook?”

“My mother taught me the recipe when I was young. I grew up in Indonesia, so I am quite used to eating Indonesian food. I will warn you, this is about the only thing that I can cook. I usually just order takeout.” 

Alec laughs, “You can cook more than me. I’m basically a disaster in the kitchen along with my sister Izzy. Okay, actually, I might be a bit better than her. I can at least make toast.” 

After that, they fall into casual conversation, getting to know each other bit by bit. Alec spends hours sitting on that couch just chatting with Magnus. It feels comfortable. Right. Alec is trying hard not to fall so quickly for the man in front of him. The friend in front of him, he reminds himself. But then he looks into those deep brown eyes and thinks  _ fuck it.  _ If he’s going to fall, he might as well prepare himself for the landing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that was chapter two. Hopefully it was alright, leave me a comment and I will love you forever <3 
> 
> I'm also still looking for a beta for this work so if anyone is interested please let me know! I'm fairly new to this fandom and a pretty small writer so it would be much appreciated. 
> 
> I'll be posting on my twitter when I update this so feel free to follow me if you'd like https://twitter.com/Malec_forever__
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	3. 9 to 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This fic is turning out to be a lot longer than I had first intended. I just can't stop writing! Anyway, here's chapter 3!

Alec’s alarm clock goes off at 7:30 and he immediately groans. One would think that after being a teacher for so long that he would get used to the early mornings. At this point, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to them. After snoozing his alarm for another ten minutes, he eventually drags himself out of bed. He heads to the bathroom and tries to wake himself up by splashing cold water on his face. All that seems to do is make him cold and wet. He then looks in the mirror and decides that a shower is much needed. 

He hops under the warm water and lets his brain wander a bit. Specifically, he let his mind wander to a certain caramel skinned man with the most breathtaking set of abs he’s ever seen (not that he’s really seen anyone’s abs before, excluding Jace). It’s really strange, the way that Magnus is able to completely overtake Alec’s mind after just two days of knowing him. They spent the entire day with each other yesterday and it felt so natural, at least it did to Alec. He definitely hopes that the feeling is mutual because he thinks they could be really good friends. Maybe even really good… Well, he’s still not trying to think too much about that. He would be perfectly content just being Magnus’ friend. He enjoys the company, but he also feels like there’s a mutual attraction between them. He makes a conscious decision to stop overthinking and just see where this goes. And if he spends a little bit of extra time in the shower, imagining a certain set of abs, he would never tell. 

Once he finishes his shower it’s almost 8:30. He still has an hour before his first class, Western Art History. He lives right around the corner from the school so the walk will be pretty quick. In his opinion, Western Art History is the most boring of all of the classes that he teaches, but it’s required for all incoming freshman Art History majors. His favorite is definitely Asian Art History, but he’s only teaching one session this semester. 

He quickly gets dressed in some black jeans, a cream collared shirt, and his trusty black blazer. He eats a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, slips on his black dress shoes and hurries out the door. 

While he’s waiting for the elevator, he feels a small tap on his shoulder. He turns and sees those piercing brown eyes that he definitely feels he could recognize anywhere. Magnus is wearing an olive button-up shirt tucked into a pair of maroon pants with brown dress shoes. His black eyeliner is pristine and it looks like he changed his black nail polish to a dark maroon that matches his pants. He looks stunning, as always, and Alec immediately feels self-conscious about his bland outfit. 

“Hey Magnus.” Alec smiles. 

“Well, hello Alexander. Where are you headed looking like a full course meal this morning?” Alec laughs, but still feels the blush over his cheeks. He can’t help but feel like Magnus enjoys making him blush like this. 

“I have my first day of teaching today. What about you? Headed to the hospital?”

“Ah, I remember you mentioning you’re a professor yesterday. I clearly forgot to mention that Luke has forced a month long break upon me. Apparently he thinks I’m a workaholic or something. I’m actually heading to coffee in order to catch up with Clary.” The elevator door dings and Alec steps away to let Magnus in first. 

“That sounds nice, a month long break from work. I guess I get those a lot though, so I’m just used to it by now.” Alec smiles and they settle into a comfortable silence for the rest of the elevator trip. 

“Where are you meeting Clary?” Alec asks as he steps out of the elevator.

“Java Jones, it’s just a few blocks from here.”

“That’s actually on the way to the school, mind if I walk with you?” Alec asks, feeling much bolder than usual. There’s something about Magnus that makes Alec feel comfortable. Like he doesn’t have to be the anxious ridden mess that he usually is. 

“That would be absolutely wonderful Alexander.”

 

…

 

Magnus really didn’t intend to run into Alec this morning, but it was a very welcome surprise. Magnus can’t deny that he feels a pull towards Alexander, like he could fall deep into those hazel eyes, if he let himself. But there’s also something about Alec that utterly terrifies him. He has closed himself off to any relationship since Camille, and he had planned to keep it that way. But right here, walking with Alec, it all just feels so  _ right.  _

“It’s good that you and Clary are catching up, she seems to really like you.” Alec says.

“I definitely agree I haven’t seen her in quite some time so I believe it will be quite splendid. How did you and Clary meet again?”

“We went to college together. Her and Jace had a quick fling, but it didn’t really work out. Jace wasn’t really ready for the commitment and Clary was still exploring her options. I think they’re better just as friends. How did you two meet?”

“I went to medical school with Luke. I was also very good friends with Jocelyn before she died. I helped Clary when she was struggling with her mother’s death. I suppose that I could connect with her a lot better than anyone else in her life could.”

“Yeah, I remember that being a really tough time for her. I’m glad that she had someone like you by her side.” Magnus smiles at Alec.  _ Damn,  _ Magnus thinks,  _ he’s gorgeous and compassionate.  _

They eventually reach the coffee shop, lingering a bit longer than necessary. Once Clary arrives, they both bid Alec farewell and wish him luck on his first day of classes. Clary and Magnus head inside and order their drinks before sitting at a table by the window. Clary ordered a green tea and Magnus ordered a white chocolate mocha. 

“So, what’s the deal with you and Alec?” Clary asks, sipping her tea with an eyebrow raised. 

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Magnus doesn’t sound at all convincing, but he sticks by his statement nonetheless. 

Clary rolls her eyes and sighs, “C’mon Magnus. I haven’t seen you look at someone like that since Camille.” Magnus winces, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring her up. I just want you to be honest with me. He’s a really great guy, kinda closed off, but I think the two of you would be really good for each other.”

“I appreciate that Clary, but right now I just want to focus on getting to know him better. We just met and I don’t want to rush into anything. Do I think he has the best ass I’ve seen in decades? Absolutely,” Clary snorts, “but not only may the attraction not be mutual, he might also be perfectly content just being friends.”

Clary sighs, but also understands everything that he’s saying. 

“Okay, that makes sense. But if you do start to have feelings for him, please don’t let your previous relationships dictate whether or not you go for it. Anyway, how’s your break going? Dad said you weren’t exactly thrilled about it the other day.”

“Well, I certainly wasn’t too pleased when he first told me he was forcing me to take a month break from work… but I think I’m warming up to the idea. It gives me some time to actually catch up with the people that I care about. Speaking of, I heard you met Maia at Alec’s party the other night… anything you’d like to tell me?”

Clary’s pale face turns bright red and she tries to hide her face in her hands but Magnus moves them to the side. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed Biscuit. She’s a lovely woman.”

“We may have kissed and exchanged numbers on Saturday, but we were both drunk so I don’t know if she’s actually interested. She hasn’t texted me or anything.”

“Well, if I know anything about Maia, she knows she can be a little too forward sometimes. I imagine that she might be waiting for you to make the first move. She probably doesn’t want to scare you away.”

Clary’s face lights up, “You really think so? I think she’s so beautiful and funny and I just really don’t want to mess this one up.”

Magnus grabs Clary’s hands and smiles, “I haven’t seen your face light up like this since we would talk about your mom. I think you should text her. In fact, why don’t you do it right now so I can make sure you don’t chicken out.” 

Clary looks a bit suspicious at first, but ultimately agrees. They spend a few minutes drafting the message and ultimately decide to keep it simple. 

“Hey Maia, this is Clary. I had a really great time on Saturday.”

Clary quickly presses send and then shoves her phone back into her bag and they fall back into easy conversation. Magnus asks how Clary’s art studio is doing and she asks how Cat’s doing. 

“Also, I noticed Luke might be interested in Alec’s mom. Maryse, I think? How do you feel about that?”

“Yeah, Maryse. Honestly, I’m really happy for them. He hasn’t been interested in anyone since mom died and a few years ago. Alec’s dad Robert left Maryse for his secretary. I think that they’re both so much happier together. Although, they’re not official yet, even though everyone knows that they like each other. I think they might be worried about how everyone will react.”

“I was certainly wondering why Luke hadn’t mentioned anything to me about it, but that makes perfect sense. I’m really happy for him.”

They talk for another half hour, but once 11:00 rolls around, Clary says she has to go check on the studio. They hug goodbye, and Magnus definitely doesn’t miss the little squeal that comes out of her when she checks her phone. Maia must have texted her back.  

Magnus is about to leave when two women stop him in his tracks. 

“Isabelle, how lovely it is to see you again.” She’s standing next to a beautiful blonde woman. He recognizes her from the party, but they were never properly introduced. Magnus smiles at both of them, but Isabelle just frowns in return. 

“What are your intentions with my brother?”

 

…

 

Alec’s first class goes really well. All of the students are very respectful, but still engaged in the course materials. He has two more Western Art History sessions and then he has a few hours for lunch before his Asian Art History session. That’s his last class of the day so he’ll be home by 5:00 and will be able to get ready for Simon’s gig tonight. 

He also made plans to meet Simon for lunch, which he is now slightly regretting. Simon just talks so much, and Alec’s brain is a bit fried from all of the information he gave out this morning. They’re meeting at Jade Wolf, a popular Asian restaurant nearby campus. Alec makes it there a few minutes early and ends up ordering them some food. He knows what Simon likes so he orders his as well. He hopes that Simon still likes the same dish as he did in college because Alec hasn’t been here since before he moved. After a few minutes, Simon comes through the door. 

“Hey man! How’s it going?”

“Good, I already ordered some food for us. I hope that’s okay. I’m just so hungry and I couldn’t wait.”

“As long as you got me the chicken lo mein, we’re all good.”

“I figured you still had the same taste as you did when I left.”

“Well, you guessed right buddy!”

They sit and talk until the food comes. Well, Simon does most of the talking, but Alec is actually quite content to just listen. Simon starts talking about his gig and how Maureen, his band mate, keeps changing the band name. Tonight the name is Champagne Edema, but Alec doesn’t think that will stick for very long. He’s also pretty sure that it’s Simon who keeps changing the name. Once their food arrives, they both quickly inhale their noodles before deciding to order dessert. While they wait for dessert, it’s finally Alec’s chance to do some talking. 

“So, what’s up with you and Magnus?”

Alec sighs, he knew this was inevitable. 

“We’re just friends. We only just met at the party.”

“Yeah, but Clary says you walked him to the coffee shop this morning. I’m not judging or anything, Magnus is a really great guy.”

“He is. But, as of right now, I think that he just wants to be friends. Besides, I’ve never been with anyone besides Jonathan, and I’m sure Magnus is pretty experienced.”

Simon nods, understanding. “You can’t let your inexperience get in the way of what you want dude. Besides, Magnus was in a couple of really fucked up relationships, so I think he’d be open to someone actually nice.” 

“What do you mean by ‘really fucked up relationships?’”

Simon groans, “I really need to learn to stop talking sometimes. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s up to Magnus to tell you when he’s ready for you to know.”

Alec nods, understanding. He can’t deny that he’s curious, but there’s no way he’s going to pry into something so personal. Especially not since everything happened with Jonathan.

Their desserts arrive and then they’re saying goodbye. It definitely wasn’t as excruciating as Alec had anticipated, but now he’s stuck overthinking everything with Magnus. Which is exactly what he wasn’t going to do, but here he is, trying to prepare for his next class when all he can think about are perfectly painted nails and the smell of sandalwood. 

 

…

 

Magnus stands completely still, blankly staring back at Isabelle. He’s honestly taken by surprise, and a bit scared by the look on Isabelle’s face. If looks could kill, Magnus would surely be lying on the ground of this coffee shop lifeless. 

“I’m sorry?” He eventually responds. 

“You heard me. I want to know exactly what your intentions are with my brother.” 

“Well, as of right now, Alexander and I are working on being friends.”

“Bullshit!” Izzy says slamming her hand on the table nearby, startling many customers in the cafe. Magnus notices how the blonde woman places a hand on Izzy’s shoulder, obviously trying to calm her down. “I see the way that he looks at you and I’m not about to let you walk into his life just to walk right out.” 

“Listen Isabelle, I think perhaps we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot here. I like your brother. He’s kind, funny, and clearly attractive. But as of right now, I want to get to know him. I don’t want to jump into a fling with someone that I hardly know. If something comes of our relationship, that’s fine, but I have no intention of forcing Alexander into anything or using him.”

Izzy’s face softens a bit, but she still looks skeptical. The blonde finally pipes into the conversation. 

“Hi, I’m Lydia by the way. Why don’t we all sit down and have a conversation before making anymore accusations.” Lydia says, looking pointedly at Izzy. 

Izzy huffs but ultimately agrees. They go and sit down at the same table Magnus and Clary had been sitting at earlier. It’s a booth and having Lydia and Izzy stare at him from across the table feels like an interrogation. Magnus doesn’t scare easily, but right now he’s terrified. 

“Alright. So Magnus, Alec is super important to Izzy and I. He’s been through a lot of shit and we just want to make sure that you won’t be added to that list.”

“And that you’re not an asshole.” Izzy states matter-of-factly. Her words are much less hostile now than they were before. Magnus wonders if that has something to do with Lydia. 

“Like I said before, I have no intention of hurting Alexander. I quite enjoy his presence and I think we will make very good friends.” 

Izzy’s harsh demeanor finally softens and she sighs. “Sorry. I just get really protective when it comes to Alec.”

“It’s quite alright. I understand. He means a lot to you, and from what I’ve heard you mean just as much to him.”

“Awesome. Now that we’re all friends here, I think we should let Magnus get back to whatever he had planned before we attacked him with questions.”

“Alright, Just know, I’m watching you.” Izzy says before they leave. It’s in a joking tone, but Magnus knows she’s serious. 

He understands where Isabelle is coming from, but certainly Alec is capable of taking care of himself. But Magnus also can’t deny that he appreciates someone who stands up for the people that they care about. While everything with Alexander is exciting, it’s all still very new. Like,  _ very  _ new. They’ve known each other for two days and everything seems to be moving a bit too quickly for Magnus. He’s not even sure if he can classify Alec as a friend yet, let alone a possible lover, and a possible relationship. Magnus hasn’t been with someone in two years, and while it was partly by choice, it was mostly because of fear. He’s afraid of Alec and what they could be. In that moment, he makes a decision to take a break from Alec for a couple of days to get his bearings right on the entire situation. At least, that’s the plan. 

 

…

 

“Alec! There you are!” Izzy shouts from across the bar. It’s loud, but Alec had already spotted her. He doesn’t exactly hear her, but he reads her lips. He pushes through the crowd until he’s arrived at the table his friends have claimed. Izzy, Jace, Clary, and Lydia have already arrived, and he can tell that at least Izzy and Jace are already drunk. He greets all of them and Izzy promptly orders him two shots. “To catch up” she says. Or more accurately, tries to say. Alec quickly downs them both, feeling like he’s gonna need them in order to get through this concert. Simon’s band is actually pretty good, but he has a feeling the two opening bands won’t be very interesting.  

After a few minutes Maia walks in and joins their table. She greets everyone and then sits by Clary. Alec doesn’t miss the way that both of their eyes light up at the sight of each other. As much as Clary might annoy him sometimes, he’s happy for her. For both of them. 

He drinks another shot with the rest of the table and he’s definitely starting to feel the alcohol. He’s a pretty big dude, but three shots within the span of ten minutes is definitely more than he usually drinks. Luckily, he only teaches classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so he’ll have a day to recover after this. He ends up ordering a beer and decides to cool it with the shots. Right as he takes his first drink of beer he sees something that makes him choke. 

Magnus walks in with a sinfully tight mesh black shirt, dark purple leather pants, black combat boots, with rings and necklaces to top it all off. Jace starts patting Alec’s back as he coughs and sets his beer down. 

“Hey buddy, you okay?”

Maia smirks, having witnessed the whole encounter, “I’m willing to bet that the answer that question is a resounding no.” 

Magnus walks up to the table, completely oblivious to the madness he just caused, and Alec tries really hard to get it together. 

“Hello everyone. Oh, Alexander. I didn’t realize that you were going to be here.” 

Alec’s heart immediately drops. Magnus isn’t happy to see him. In fact, if his face is anything to go by, Magnus is actually  _ disappointed  _ that Alec is here. 

Lydia clears her throat, trying to ease some of the tension that has suddenly washed over the group, “Hey Magnus, glad you could make it.” 

Just as Alec is about to say something, the first band starts. They all sit back down and fall into easy conversation, most of them too drunk to remember the weird moment that just occured. But if Alec was feeling at all drunk before, he was completely sober now. He’s also hyper aware of Magnus next to him, seemingly ignoring Alec’s presence. It really shouldn’t be a big deal, they’ve only known each other for two days, but they were completely fine this morning. What changed? Why had Magnus seemed so distant when he arrived? 

At some point during the second band, Alec can’t take it anymore. 

“I’m going to the restroom.” Alec quickly gets up. He misses the way that Magnus’ eyes linger a bit longer than everyone else’s as he walks away.

He makes it to the restroom and splashes cold water on his face.  _ Get yourself the fuck  _

_ together,  _ he thinks,  _ you’re fine.  _ After a while of trying to calm himself down, he finally decides to return to the table. As soon as he makes it out of the restroom door, Lydia is waiting for him. She always knows when something’s up. 

“Hey, what’s up?” She asks tentatively. 

“Nothing, I’m fine.” Alec says, trying to push past her. She doesn’t move.

“Come on Alec. Just tell me. You’ll feel better and you’ll maybe actually be able to enjoy yourself tonight.”

Alec sighs, but complies nonetheless. She’s right. “It’s just… I thought that maybe Magnus and I… that we were becoming good friends. But he’s upset that I’m here and I don’t know why. It really doesn’t matter though because we only met the other night and-”

“Right. That might be my fault. And Izzy’s.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well… Izzy kind of ambushed him while we were getting coffee this morning and started asking him what his intentions are with you and I think that it might have freaked him out. I’m really sorry Alec. I tried to stop her but then the words were already out of her mouth. I tried to lessen the severity but I probably just added to the problem. I’m so sorry.”

“God damn it Izzy. Can she just stay out of my personal life for one fucking second?” Alec is clearly frustrated, but he also should have expected it. The Lightwoods are protective of one another. 

“She was trying to help. Granted, she didn’t go about it the right way at all. But she just wanted to make sure that you’re going to be okay.”

“I know, but it’s not her job to do that. I’m a grown man and I can take care of myself.”

Their conversation is cut short by Simon introducing his band on stage.

“Come on, we should get back to the table. We can talk about this tomorrow when Izzy’s sober.” Lydia suggests. Alec nods but he’s going to hold her to that. He needs to talk to Izzy. 

They make it back to the table, and everyone is very clearly drunk besides Magnus. He’s been sporting the same cosmopolitan since he got here. Alec notices that he’s not acting normal and now he feels like shit knowing that it’s because his sister attacked him this morning. 

He somehow manages to make it through Simon’s set without a single drink and as soon as everyone is cheering he leans over to Magnus. 

“Hey, can we talk?”

“Sure.” Magnus replies. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you all enjoyed chapter 3. Sorry for the cliffhanger... I will warn you now that there's going to be a lot of them throughout the story lol. Let me know what you think in the comments!!
> 
> Huge shout out to ShadowGirl548 for beta-ing this work! She's a gem.


	4. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I'm honestly really in love with this story. I hope that you all feel the same way! 
> 
> Enjoy Chapter 4 :)

Magnus really should have realized that Alec was going to be there. They both know Simon and Alec had even mentioned that he was having lunch with Simon when they were on their walk. Magnus  _ really  _ should have known. But now he’s here, feeling like a complete asshole because Alec isn’t at the table anymore and Magnus has a sinking feeling it’s his fault. Seeing those bright hazel eyes go dull after he expressed his surprise at Alec being here made Magnus’s heart ache. The whole point of trying to avoid Alec for a couple of days was so this exact situation  _ didn’t  _ happen. But now it has and Magnus feels like shit. 

Eventually, once Simon’s band starts, Alec returns to the table with Lydia. Magnus hadn’t realized that he missed Alec’s warm body next to his until Alec sits back down next to him. He needs to get himself under control. Alec is nice and new and funny but he’s also scary and very dangerous. He’s basically the epitome of Magnus’s type and that’s fucking terrifying. He’s a 32-year-old man and here he is feeling like a teenage boy with a crush. He feels pretty pathetic in all honesty. 

Once the set is over Magnus makes the decision that he’s going to head straight home and try to sleep until Alec turns towards him. 

“Hey, can we talk?”

How can Magnus possibly say no to that?

“Sure.”

They leave the bar and walk towards the side of the building where no one else seems to be. There are red lights hanging above them in the alley so it’s lit enough to still be fairly safe. As safe as an alley in downtown Brooklyn can be. It’s awkward for a minute, neither of them knowing what to say. They both let out an exasperated “I’m sorry” at the same time. Magnus is taken aback.

“Why on earth are you sorry?” Magnus asks. 

“Because Lydia told me that her and Izzy ambushed you this morning and that’s probably why you’ve been acting so strange tonight. That I have any right to tell you when you’re acting strange, we barely know each other.” 

“Alexander.” Magnus tries to interrupt but Alec keeps rambling. 

“But I’m just sorry if she made you feel weird and I hope that you know that I’m perfectly content with just being your friend-

“Alexander.” Magnus tries again.

“-and I think you’re a really great person and I want to get to know you better and-” 

“Alec!” Magnus shouts, starling Alec out of his rambling.

“Sorry.”

“I’ll admit that Isabelle’s words this morning weren’t exactly comforting, but that’s not the only reason why I’ve been off tonight.” Magnus pauses, but Alec doesn’t say anything. He just stands there, letting Magnus take his time. It makes Magnus’s stomach flip, the intenseness of Alec’s gaze. “The truth is, I’m utterly terrified of you. You’re this amazing, kind, beautiful person and I don’t know how to be around you without freaking out. I haven’t felt anything for anyone in so long and then you just walked in here and unlocked something in me like it was no big deal. I don’t know how to do this.” 

Alec takes a minute to respond and Magnus’ heart immediately drops. Alec is going to reject him. He’s going to say that he barely knows Magnus and that they should just stop things now before they get weird. If they haven’t already.

“I’ve never been in a relationship.” Alec says quietly.

“What?” Is all that Magnus can say. 

“Well, not a real one anyway. I kind of dated Lydia in high school before I figured out I was gay and had like a quick fling with a dude in college, but I’ve never been in a relationship before. My point is: you’re terrifying for me too. You’re this experienced, confident guy and I’m just a tall mess of emotions and inexperience.”

They both just stand there for a second. 

“You’re weirded out.” Alec says after a moment of silence. 

“I’m not weirded out, just… surprised.” 

“How about this, let’s be friends. At least for now. I want to get to know you and I think it would be best if we did that as friends.” 

Magnus won’t deny that the words sting a bit, but he knows that Alec is right. This whole experience is so new for both of them and there’s really no need to rush into anything. 

“Friends.” Magnus agrees, sticking his hand out for Alec to shake. They then head back to the front of Pandemonium and see the rest of the group waiting for them. 

“There you guys are!” A very drunk Jace calls out, “We thought you were fucking somewhere.” 

Lydia elbows Jace in the ribcage, and he yelps out an apology. 

“We’re just waiting for Simon to finish packing up and then we were all gonna head over to Hunter’s Moon. Maia has a short shift and it’s much more laid back there than it is here. Do you guys want to come?”

“Sure.” They both say, feeling much better than before. 

 

…

 

Once they all make it to Hunter’s Moon they’re all a bit more sober than they were before. Granted, not all of them would like to be sober at the present moment, so Jace orders a round of shots for the whole table. Tequila. Alec sighs, but downs the shots with everyone else and orders another beer. He never finished the one that he bought at Pandemonium, but he feels much more relaxed now that he’s figured things out with Magnus. It does sting a bit that Magnus is content with being just friends, but Alec is the one who suggested it. He just feels like Magnus should be the one to make the decision, and if they’re destined to be just friends until the end of time, then so be it. 

After a couple of beers mixed with some shots, Alec is officially drunk. And it seems that everyone else is as well. They’ve all been talking about Simon’s gig and how his band has changed their name again. “Rock Solid Panda.” It’s certainly not the worst one they’ve come up with, but it’s also not the best. Alec is actually enjoying his night and beginning to think that the hangover will be worth it tomorrow when a man walks into the bar and immediately greets Magnus. Alec can’t help the wave of jealousy that shoots through him, but he tries to suppress it and listen to who the guy is before he makes any assumptions. The man has dark hair and weirdly pale yet dark skin. His eyes look almost black and he’s wearing a scowl. 

“Everyone, this is Raphael.”

“I don’t know why you’re introducing me to all of these people. I work here you idiot.” Raphael says. 

“Oh play nice. Raphael is my foster brother.”

Everyone begins drunkenly saying hello and introducing themselves when Alec notices the way that Raphael and Simon’s eyes meet. Apparently everyone is falling in love except for him. He can’t deny that it does make him feel better knowing that nothing is going on between Raphael and Magnus. It was stupid to be jealous of it in the first place, Magnus isn’t his. 

Raphael eventually leaves and joins Maia behind the bar. They all fall back into conversation and a couple of hours later, everyone is heading home. Alec and Magnus share an uber back to the apartment building. Alec wants to kiss him goodnight, but he doesn’t, so they just awkwardly head back to their rooms and Alec spends the night very aware of the fact that they’re only two doors away from each other. 

When he wakes up the next morning, he feels surprisingly okay. He’s severely dehydrated and has a slight headache, but some water and ibuprofen should fix that up fine. It’s already 11:00, but he’s still going to wait a couple of hours to head over to Izzy’s apartment. As much as he wants to yell at her, a hungover Izzy in the morning is one of the worst people to try and interact with. She’d probably just attack him with one of her stilettos and tell him to get out. He’ll give her time to wake up, but he’s definitely going over their later. 

He takes a quick shower and brushes his teeth. He then orders some pizza and sits down to watch some TV while he eats his lunch. Once it’s 3:00 he decides to head over to Izzy’s. He doesn’t bother calling her first, he doesn’t want to give her the chance to run. 

Once he makes it to Izzy’s place, he knocks loudly on the door. After a minute with no answer, he knocks even louder. 

“Izzy! Open up. I need to talk to you.”

Just as he’s about to knock for a third time, the door swings open. Izzy looks like shit, clearly still hungover from the night before. 

“How dare you-” she starts, but Alec just pushes past her and goes to the kitchen to grab her a glass of water.

“How dare I what Isabelle? Go up to Lydia and threaten her? Ask her what her intentions with you are?” After he finishes filling the glass, he turns around and hands it to her. She’s takes it and he crosses his arms, waiting for an answer. Izzy’s head drops as she takes a sip of the cool water. 

“I was just looking out for you.” 

“C’mon Iz, cut it out. You’ve been hostile towards Magnus since the moment you met him. Other guys have flirted with me, so what’s the issue? You decided that it would be okay to ambush a guy that you barely know? What gives, huh?” Alec knows that he’s getting a bit too frustrated, but he’s honestly really hurt by what she did. She makes him feel like he’s useless. 

Izzy sighs, setting down the glass, “I just saw the way that you looked at him… you’ve never looked at someone like that before. I wanted to know if he was a good guy and I know that I went about it the wrong way, but I really did have good intentions. And I got my answer.”

“Ah, and what was that?”

“That Magnus is a really great guy.” Izzy says, smiling a bit. 

“I know,” Alec starts, “I knew that before you even talked to him, but instead of trusting me, you had to go and scare him. Simon told me that apparently Magnus has had some pretty bad relationships and you probably made that worse for him. You need to trust me, Iz. He’s not Jonathan and I’m not fragile. Besides, we agreed to just be friends.”

“What? Why?!” Izzy asks, genuinely surprised. 

“Because that’s what he wants. I suggested it because I want to do everything in my power to make him feel comfortable. Which you clearly didn’t take his comfort into account yesterday.” 

“I’m really sorry Alec. I promise that it won’t happen again. But, you like him right?”

“Of course I like him Izzy. Have you looked at him?” Alec says, deadpan. Izzy snorts, but then gets serious again. 

“Then why did you suggest being just friends?” 

Alec honestly doesn’t know, so instead of trying to explain he walks towards the door with an intent to go home. 

“I’ll answer that question as soon as you can tell me why you haven’t told Lydia you’re into her.” 

Izzy starts to protest but Alec’s already out the door. He knows that Izzy understands that what she did was wrong, but he still felt like messing with her before leaving. 

 

…

 

Magnus walks into the restaurant a few minutes after 7:00 and immediately spots Ragnor and Catarina sitting at a table by the window. He hasn’t seen Ragnor in almost a month and he can’t help but smile at his old friend. Ragnor owns one of the most prestigious law firms in New York, so of course he’s dragged Magnus to one of the nicest restaurants in town. Not that Magnus can’t afford it, he just still feels like a fraud in places like this. He walks over to their table and greets his friends.

“Hello Cat. Cabbage.”

“I do wish you would stop using that ridiculous name.” Ragnor says in a thick british accent. 

“You love it.”

“Hello Magnus, it’s so nice to see you. It’s been weird not seeing you at work everyday.”

Magnus sits down and takes a sip of the red wine already sitting on the table for him. 

“How’s your break been so far?” 

Magnus sighs. On the one hand it’s been incredible. He met Alexander and has had time to catch up with all of his friends, but on the other hand, he misses work. It might be a hard job, but Magnus loves what he does. 

“It’s been hard, staying away from the hospital. But I think I needed this break. Even if I didn’t have a say in when it was.” Ragnor snorts in response. 

“Magnus Bane admitting that someone else was right? I never thought I’d see the day.” 

“Oh shush.” Magnus says, throwing his napkin at Ragnor, “I admit when other people are right all of the time. Just not you because you’re always wrong.” Ragnor already has the napkin crumpled in retaliation, but Catarina snatches it out of his hand.

“Enough you two, the babysitter is only available until 10:00 and I would prefer to catch up rather than listen to you two bicker for three hours.”

The men both begrudgingly agree, but still end up sneaking snarky comments in every once in a while. Magnus orders a steak, medium rare and both Ragnor and Catarina order parmesan chicken then spend the time waiting for their food talking about Madzie and Chairman Meow. After their food arrives, Ragnor’s demeanor suddenly turns serious.

“Magnus, are you still coming to the fundraiser this weekend?” 

Every year, Fell and Co. hosts a fundraiser for the Trevor Project. Ragnor had grown up with two dads, both of which he loved dearly, so he was always looking for ways to support the queer community. 

“Of course. I never miss it. Why?”

“Well…” Catarina starts, looking at Ragnor, “We’re not sure how but apparently Camille caught wind of the event. She’s coming.”

“And apparently with a date.” 

_ Fuck.  _

“Oh.” Magnus says after a slight pause. 

“We're so sorry Magnus, we had no idea that she was going to find out about the fundraiser and it's an open event so we can't just tell her not to come.” Cat says apologetically. 

“It's fine, darling. I'm sure I can figure something out. Thank you for letting me know.” Magnus’ mood immediately shifts whenever Camille comes up, but he's trying not to ruin dinner. 

The conversation moves to other topics and after dessert it's almost 9:30. Madzie will be expecting them home soon so Cat and Ragnor bid Magnus farewell. Magnus stays seated and ends up ordering another glass of wine. He spends some time thinking while he finishes the glass and then heads home around ten.  As soon as he's out the door he pulls his phone out and dials. 

“Alexander? It’s Magnus. Sorry for calling so late but I have a favor to ask.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to ShadowGirl548! She's basically the most amazing human being to ever exist. 
> 
> Leave me a comment and let me know what you think, or you can use #2DDFic on Twitter and I'll look through it :)
> 
> My twitter is @Malec_Forever__ and I'll be posting on there when I post a new chapter, feel free to follow me if you'd like :)


	5. Coat of Many Colors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this chapter ended up being just Alec's perspective (which is weird because I'm usually better with Magnus's perspective) but don't worry, the next chapter will be entirely Magnus's. 
> 
> Anyway, here'e a little more fluff before we start jumping into the angst. Hope you like it!!

Alec had just been getting washed and ready for bed when his phone started to ring. He didn’t recognize the number, but his phone said nothing about spam, so he just assumes it’s one of his students calling a bit too late before class tomorrow. Normally, he wouldn’t answer, but he had nothing better to do.

“Professor Lightwood speaking.”

“Alexander? It’s Magnus. Sorry for calling so late but I have a favor to ask.” 

Alec immediately smiles, even hearing Magnus’s voice can make his day better. Not that today had been a bad one, just pretty boring. 

“Oh, hey Magnus. Sorry, I thought you might be a student. What’s up?”

“No worries darling, I quite like the way  _ Professor Lightwood _ sounds,” Alec feels a shiver run down his spine at the name, “Anyway, I guess I should start by asking what you’re doing this weekend. Saturday specifically.”

“As of right now the only plans I have are to do some grading, why?”

Magnus sighs, and Alec can imagine his face scrunching in frustration. It’s probably pretty adorable. 

“Well, my friends Ragnor and Catarina host an annual fundraiser for the Trevor Project and I need a date. I was originally planning on going alone, but then I found out that my bitch of an ex is going to be there with her latest conquest and I would prefer to not hear the snarky comments she’ll make if I go stag.”

“You want me to be your date to the fundraiser?” Alec’s heart flutters a bit.

“As friends of course,”  _ damn it,  _ “and we wouldn’t have to stay the entire time so that you can get your grading done. I know that it’s incredibly last minute but I didn’t know who else to ask.” The thought that Alec is Magnus’s first choice for a date makes Alec smile. 

“I’d love to. What time?”

“The event starts at 7:00, but I don’t plan on arriving until at least 7:30. We can meet in the hallway at 7:15 and then walk over there together if you’d like. It’s hosted in one of the ballrooms at the Pratt Institute so it won’t be a long walk. Hopefully it won’t be too cold outside.”

“Sounds perfect. And what’s the dress code?”

“Fancy, dress to impress my dear. Now if you’ll excuse me, my taxi just arrived. I’ll see you on Saturday. Goodbye Alexander.”

“Goodbye Magnus.”

Alec spends a moment smiling down at his phone until the panic starts to kick in. He has no idea what he’s going to wear on his date with Magnus, because he’s going on a date with Magnus. Well, technically it’s just a friend thing, but Alec is still freaking out about it. He may be a professor but he doesn’t necessarily have anything breathtakingly fancy, just simple suits and ties. He runs out of the bathroom and starts tearing through his closet trying to see if he still has the tux he wore to a friends wedding a few years back. In the end, he comes up empty handed and has to do the unthinkable. Go shopping with Izzy. 

 

…

  
  


“Oh come ooonnn, Alec.” Izzy whines, “It’s really not that bad!”

Alec scoffs and they goes back into the dressing room to change out of the purple monstrosity Izzy calls a suit. As he studies himself one more time in the mirror, he can’t help but think that Magnus would  easily be able to pull off this suit. Granted, Magnus could probably pull off anything. Except khakis. No one looks good in khakis. 

Once Alec is changed out of the purple suit and back into his street clothes, he leaves the dressing room. They’ve been shopping all day and neither Izzy or Alec have found anything good enough for the fundraiser. They only have one store left to check and Alec is getting increasingly nervous. The fundraiser is tonight and he needs to look good. They were supposed to go on Thursday, but Izzy ended up having to head into the lab early for some “emergency” testing. Izzy works as a forensic pathologist for the NYPD so sometimes she has to head into work with little to no warning. Thankfully, she hasn’t had any calls yet today so they’ve had plenty of time to shop. It’s currently 3:00 PM which means that Alec only has 4 hours until he’s supposed to meet Magnus. 

“Maybe I should just wear something I already have. We’re running out of time.”

“First of all, no offense, there’s no way I am letting you wear one of your stuffy teacher suits on your first date with Magnus. And second of all, I only need two hours to get you ready. Which means we still have two hours to find you something gorgeous to wear.”

“It’s not a date. Also, I was unaware that you were getting me ready.  I thought I could maybe take care of that part myself?”

Izzy laughs, “Come on Alec, you and I both know that your hair will look like an absolute disaster if I don’t help you. Plus your eyebrows and beard could use some trimming and you could use a lip scrub and-”

“Okay, I get it. I look like shit.” Alec says, feeling a bit dejected and self-conscious. 

“You know that’s not what I meant big brother… I just think that I can help you feel more confident. I know that you tend to overthink things and I think having me there while you get ready will be helpful. If you don’t want me to, I understand.” 

Alec smiles, he forgets how thoughtful his sister is sometimes. “No, it’s okay Iz. You can help me. Angel knows that I need all of the help that I can get. Now let’s go find me a suit.”

In the end, they find a really nice suit at the last store and Alec’s nerves shoot even farther through the roof than they were before. He decided on a tight, grey suit with a checkered white and black button up shirt and a dark grey tie. To finish it all off, Izzy buys him some black lace up dress shoes. 

When they make it back to Alec’s apartment they have exactly two hours until 7:15. Alec hops in the shower, taking a bit more time than usual to make sure that everything is nice and clean. As soon as he gets out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist, Izzy barges into the bathroom and starts plucking his eyebrows. 

“Don’t overdo it Iz.” Alec pleads. 

“Stop worrying, I’m just getting the extra ones. There. That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

“No, it wasn’t. But we’re not done yet are we?”

Izzy laughs maniacally and then starts applying various cleansers and moisturizers to his face and trims his beard down a bit. She still leaves some hair but cleans up the edges. 

“Where did you learn to trim a beard so well?”

“Dad used to let me trim his beard when I was a teenager. Plus, Jace is absolutely hopeless when it comes to grooming.”

Alec laughs, “That makes sense. How is Dad, by the way?”

Alec doesn’t ask because he really cares how his father is, it’s more of a curiosity thing. He hasn’t spoken to the man since he ran away with his mistress a few years ago. They weren’t exactly on good terms before, due to the whole Alec being gay thing, but part of him wanted to hear that his dad wasn’t doing well. 

“How should I know. He stopped talking to me when I told him that I’m bi.”

“Oh. I’m sorry Iz. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Eh, I didn’t really think it was all that important. I knew that you and dad hadn’t been talking for a while, so I figured my lack of communication with him wouldn’t matter that much to you.”

After she finishes his face, she trims his nails and cuticles. As much as Alec thinks this is overkill, he also appreciates her help. 

“Hey Alec?”

“Yeah Iz?”

“Are you sure this is a good idea? The whole, pretending to be Magnus’ date thing?”

“I’ll be fine Izzy.”

“Look Alec, I know that I promised to stay out of it but I just want to make sure that you’re actually okay with this. I know that you like to pretend that you don’t have feelings, but I see the way that your eyes light up when you’re around him. I just want to make sure that tonight isn’t going to do more damage than you can handle.”

Alec thinks about her words for a second. He hadn’t really thought about whether or not this was going to hurt. He was too busy being nervous and giddy and scared that he hadn’t actually acknowledged that this thing between him and Magnus wasn’t real. Of course, he knows that Magnus has at least some feelings for him, but they had also agreed to just be friends. But is friends going to be enough for Alec after tonight?

“I think I’m going to be okay Izzy. I care about Magnus and I need to put him first tonight. Thank you for caring though, you’re the best little sister I could have ever asked for.”

Izzy smiles and kisses Alec on the cheek before moving behind him to style his hair. They bicker for a little while about how exactly his hair should look, but Izzy ends up winning and going for a smoother look. She also ends up forcing a thin layer of clear lip gloss on his lips. After she finishes everything, he forces her into the living room while he gets dressed. As much as she might like to style his suit as well, she would just have to wait to make adjustments until it’s already on his body. 

He goes into his top drawer and tries to find the tightest pair of boxer briefs he can find. The pants weren’t so tight that one could see everything, but Alec just wanted to make sure that everything was going to stay in place. He pulls out the bright green boxer briefs and laughs, Izzy had bought these for him for Christmas when she visited him in California. Alec has a moment where he imagines Magnus seeing these and laughing. It’s fleeting, and he stops it before it can go further, but it still makes him smile. They’re tighter than any other pair of underwear he has so he ends up slipping them on and then putting on his outfit and shoes. Once he’s got everything on he looks into the full sized mirror on his closet door. He really does look good, lip gloss and all. 

“Holy shit. You look amazing!”

“Lydia? When did you get here?”

“Oh, right. Did I not tell you? We’re going out after you leave and I figured it would be faster for us to just leave straight from here since she lives just around the block.” Izzy lies, smirking. 

Alec rolls his eyes, fully aware that the only reason they decided to meet up here was so she could get a second opinion on Alec’s attire. But since they’re both here, he might as well use them. 

“It looks okay, though?” Alec asks, fiddling with his cufflinks. Izzy walks up to him and adjusts his tie so that it’s straight.

“You look amazing big bro. Magnus won’t know what’s hit him.”

“She’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit that fits as well as this one does.” 

Alec looks at the clock, 7:14. One more minute and then he’ll be leaving to go on a fake date with the most beautiful man he’s ever met, who’s just his friend. He’s really starting to hate the word friend. 

He watches the clock change to 7:15 and then takes a deep breath. Lydia pats his shoulder. 

“You got this.”

Alec smiles at both Lydia and Izzy and walks out the door. The sight that greets him in the hallway is almost too much. His mouth goes completely dry and his brain malfunctions. Magnus looks fucking breathtaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there ya go! Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 5! 
> 
> As always, thank you so much to my beta ShadowGirl548. You're lovely <3
> 
> Also, I will be posting when I add a chapter on my twitter @Malec_Forever__
> 
> Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!!!


	6. Halos and Horns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days? Hannah would never. (I'm Hannah btw)
> 
> I'm sorry in advance for this chapter and the next one <3

**** Magnus wakes up on Saturday with thousands of butterflies swirling around in his stomach. He had been nervous for the fundraiser all week but now it’s actually a reality. The fundraiser is  _ today.  _ Along with his (fake) date with Alec. He went shopping with Raphael on Wednesday, the day after he had dinner with Catarina and Ragnor, and while Raphael was basically no help, Magnus ended up picking out an amazing burgundy velvet suit. He then added a white button-up shirt, a black bow tie, and shiny black lace-up dress shoes. On Thursday, he went to get it tailored and he’s got to pick it up today as soon as he looks somewhat presentable. 

He takes a shower, taking a bit longer than usual to make sure that everything is nice and clean. Once he gets out of the shower he quickly blow dries his hair, not bothering to style it yet. He lets it flop over his forehead and throws on his glasses. He then puts on a black t-shirt, black jeans and his red jacket. It’s a chilly day in New York and the last thing that he wants to do is catch pneumonia before tonight. He ties up his black combat boots, grabs his car keys and heads out the door. Normally, if it’s close enough, he just walks places or grabs a taxi but since he’s picking up a suit he figures it will be easier to drive himself.  He takes the elevator down to the parking garage and hops into his dark purple Porsche. 

Once he makes it out of the tailor with his suit it’s already 4:00. He spent a few hours there, trying on the suit and having them make a few more adjustments. Three hours is definitely cutting it close for him, but he’s got this. He is Magnus Bane after all. He starts getting ready as soon as he makes it through the front door of his apartment. He starts by slicking his hair back with some gel, deciding that it will look better with the suit than his signature spikes will. Then, he pops in his contacts and gets started on his makeup. He starts by putting down a thin layer of foundation and then gets started on his eyes. He goes for a smokey cat eye look with glitter and black lining the bottom of his eyes. He flicks out the eyeliner farther than he usually would, but it still looks great. He moves onto brows, just filling them in a bit to even out the color. He adds contour, blush and highlight and then finishes off the look with a slightly shimmery lip gloss. It looks great. He smirks just thinking of how Alec will react to his entire look. He clips and files his nails before putting on the suit. After tying up his shoes, he has a half hour before he’s supposed to meet Alec. That gives him just enough time to paint his nails and let them dry. He ends up using a black quick-dry polish with a matte top coat. 

At 7:14, he checks the mirror one more time to make sure everything looks pristine. After he takes a bit of time to adjust his bow tie and dab a bit of sandalwood cologne on his neck, he grabs his bag and keys and heads out the door. No more than a minute later Alec is walking out of his apartment looking absolutely sinful in a tight grey suit. Seeing Alec like this is making Magnus’s mouth water. It takes every ounce of self-control that he has not to ravish the man in the middle of this hallway. 

After he’s done calming himself down, he walks over to Alec. 

“Magnus you- uh… you’re suit, um. You look sexy- uh I mean amazing. You look amazing.” 

Magnus thinks that Alec stumbling through his words has got to be the most adorable thing he’s ever seen. 

“Why thank you Alexander,” Magnus replies with a smirk, “You’re not too bad yourself.”

Magnus knows that statement doesn’t convey just how gorgeous Alec looks but he’s worried that if he tries to explain it anymore he’ll get carried away and make Alec uncomfortable. He’s still awarded with a blush from Alec, so he can’t really complain. 

“My dear Alexander,” Magnus says, eyes wide, “Are you wearing lipgloss?”

Alec turns to face him, looking mortified, “Is it too much?” He asks, moving to wipe it off. Magnus grabs his arm and stops him. 

“No, no. It looks great, I’m just surprised. I never took you as the lipgloss type.” 

They both laugh and Magnus can’t help but think about what  _ other things  _ those lipgloss covered lips can do.  

“Shall we?” Alec says, holding out his elbow for Magnus to take. 

“Such a gentleman.” Magnus smiles up at Alec and loops his arm through Alec’s. Magnus is only slightly shorter than Alec so they fit together perfectly. They walk over to the elevator and press the down button.  _ Here goes nothing,  _ Magnus thinks. 

Once they make it to the lobby, Alec stops and turns towards Magnus.

“Is there anything that I should know about your ex? You know, just so I’m prepared.” 

Magnus sighs, he knew that she was going to come up given that she’s the reason Alec is coming tonight, but he still hates talking about her. Magnus loops his arm through Alec’s again and starts talking as they walk to the ballroom. 

“Well, her name is Camille and I think she might actually be the devil,” Alec chuckles but doesn’t say anything in response, “We were together for three years, and I honestly don’t know how I stuck with her for so long, but I honestly thought that she loved me. I had planned to propose but then I caught her in bed with someone else. It was really hard at first, it took me a long time to get over her. In the end, I decided that she just wasn’t worth it. She didn’t even agree with my sexuality, but I thought that she would learn to get past it. In fact, up until two weeks ago, she worked with me at the hospital, but Luke fired her because she thought it was a good idea to call me a fag to him.”

Alec pauses for a moment, clearly thinking of how to respond. Magnus is starting to get worried that he’s overshared when Alec speaks. 

“I’m really sorry that she was so horrible to you. You deserve so much better than that because you’re an amazing person. I think that I vaguely remember Luke bragging about ‘firing this homophobic bitch’ the night of the party,”  They both chuckle, but Alec keeps talking, “In all honesty, I think that you’re too good for someone like that. You deserve someone who treasures who you are, not someone who breaks you down. I hope that we don’t run into her tonight, but if we do, I’ll be right by your side to support you.”

Magnus’s heart aches with every word that comes out of Alec’s mouth. He knows exactly what to say to make Magnus melt and it takes everything in him not to burst into tears. Of course his friends had been there to support him when they broke up, but something about Alec makes Magnus’s emotions run wild.

“Thank you Alexander,” Magnus stops walking, “I believe we’ve arrived.”

They look up the daunting set of steps ahead of them and then head towards the doors. There are still quite a few people arriving so they are able to slip inside virtually undetected. Once they make it inside, Magnus immediately turns to go into the main area. He spots Catarina and Ragnor standing near the stage talking with one of the servers. Catarina is wearing a beautiful flowy pastel blue dress with a deep V in the back while Ragnor is wearing his normal three piece brown suit with a cream shirt and burgundy tie. Most people would be surprised that they’re together, but Magnus watched their love bloom and he couldn’t be happier for them.

Once they make it up to the couple, Catarina immediately wraps Magnus in a hug.

“Thank you so much for coming Magnus.” Catarina says. 

“Of course dear, I wouldn't miss it. This is Alexander, my date for the evening.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Alexander, call me Cat.”

“Nice to meet you too Cat, call me Alec.” Alec smiles, going to shake her hand but she pulls him into a hug instead. 

Ragnor leans over and whispers to Magnus, “You didn’t have to find the tallest most attractive man in New York just to make Camille jealous.” 

Magnus swats him on the chest, “I’ll have you know that I met Alexander before I found out that Camille was going to be here. He just happens to be drop dead gorgeous. And my next door neighbor.” 

“Ah, so he’s the famous Alexander. Be careful my friend, those pants are much too tight for you to think about how good he looks.” Ragnor finishes the sentence right before Alec turns to shake his hand and Magnus is internally thanking all of the gods that he’s ever heard about that Alec didn’t turn a minute sooner. Ragnor always knows how to mess with Magnus and now Magnus is all flustered imagining what’s  _ underneath  _ Alec’s suit. 

He swallows the lump in his throat, pulls himself together, and joins the conversation. 

 

…

  
  


After the annual speech and art auction, everyone moves to the other room to share food, drinks, and conversation with one another. Somehow, Magnus has managed to avoid Camille thus far and he’s hoping that his luck holds through. 

He heads to the bar with Alec and they each grab a glass of champagne. 

“I can’t help but think that this champagne is more expensive than I am.” Alec says, grimacing at the taste. Magnus chuckles. 

“Don’t be silly Alexander, you’re priceless. It is a bit excessive though. I think that it just gets more extravagant every year. Ragnor’s company definitely has the funds for it, though.” 

“You never actually told me what Ragnor’s company is.” Alec says, looking around the room. 

“Oh, well he owns Fell and Co.” Magnus says nonchalantly, taking another sip of his much too dry champagne. Alec’s head whips around and he stares at Magnus incredulously. 

“Fell and Co.? Like the law firm?” 

“Yes… have you heard of it?” Magnus asks, noticing that Alec’s demeanor has changed a bit. He’s not exactly sure what has changed, but Alec seems much more rigid than before. Just as Magnus is about to ask what’s wrong a bald man and a young woman walk up to them. 

“Alec? What are you doing here?” The man asks.

Magnus can see the slight panic in Alec’s eyes as he responds, “Hello father.”

_ Father?  _ Magnus thinks. It’s hard to believe that the man in front of him made the tall black haired beauty standing next to him. Magnus remembers Clary mentioning that Robert left and he immediately feels much more tense than he had a second ago. If he was starting to get buzzed from the champagne, he’s stone cold sober now. The next thing that comes out of Alec’s mouth takes Magnus completely by surprise. 

“I’m here with my boyfriend. Dad, Annamarie, this is Magnus.” 

Magnus just stands there for a second, not really knowing how to react to the three sets of eyes staring at him. Two of which look surprised, and one looking at him with absolute disgust. Guess it makes sense that Alec doesn’t talk about his dad much. 

“Hello Robert,” Magnus says, sticking out a hand, “how nice to  _ finally  _ meet you.”

Magnus stretches out the “finally” in order to make it seem like he’d been dating Alec for a long time. Robert just looks down at his hand and completely neglects shaking it. 

“Hello Magnus, I’m Annamarie,” the woman says, shaking Magnus’s outstretched hand, “I’m Alec’s- uh, I mean I’m Robert’s wife.”

“Enchanted.” Magnus says deadpan. She seems like a nice woman, but clearly some messed up stuff has happened with this family and Magnus is here for Alec, not for the woman his father left them for. 

“I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t really think you’d be very interested in giving money to the Trevor Project, considering you were never very accepting of my, oh what was it you called it? Oh, right,  _ lifestyle.”  _ Alec says, clearly annoyed with the man standing in front of him. 

“Oh, don’t make a scene Alec. Fell and Co. has always been Alicante’s biggest competitor. We’re not here to donate, we’re here to scope out clients.” 

“Well actually, I did donate a few hundred dollars when we first got here.” Annamarie states, clearly not having any of Robert’s shit. 

“Whatever,” Robert scoffs and turns towards Magnus, “How did someone like  _ you  _ manage to get an invitation to this event?” 

Magnus sees Alec’s hackles rise, but Magnus stays calm. He’s been dealing with people like this his entire life and this situation is no different. 

“First of all, I happen to be Ragnor Fell’s best friend. I’ll be sure that he knows just how homophobic and bigoted his number one competitor is. I think I actually spotted the head journalist for the New York times over there as well. I’m sure they would be  _ very  _ interested to hear how you treat your son,” Magnus’ words come out like poison, “Second of all, I’m the Chief of Surgery at the NYU Langone Hospital so I have plenty of money to be here. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have a party to attend. I would rather not waste anymore of my time speaking with you. My mouth has much more  _ pressing  _ matters to attend to.” Magnus finishes that last sentence by looking Alec up and down, clearly emphasising the meaning behind his words. 

Alec nods to both of them, grabs Magnus’ hand and then walks away. They walk all the way to the other room and behind the stage before Alec let’s go of Magnus’ hand. 

Alec lets out a shaky breath, “Magnus, I am so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m used to dealing with people like him.” Magnus responds, rubbing Alec’s shoulder gently. 

“No, I’m not sorry about him. I’m done apologizing for that man. I’m sorry that I said you were my boyfriend. I know that you just wanted me here as a friend to support you and I just put you in a really uncomfortable position.” 

“Alexander, it’s alright-”

“It’s not. I should have just told him to fuck off but you had to do it for me. I never should have let him say those things to you.”

Just as Magnus is about to respond and tell Alec that it really is okay, he hears the clicking of heels coming around the corner. He has a sinking feeling that he knows exactly who those heels belong to. 

“Magnus? Is that you?” Camille’s high pitched voice comes around the corner. This night couldn’t possibly get any worse. 

“I’ve been looking for you. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Camille smirks and a blonde man comes around the corner to stand next to her. 

“Sebastian?” “Jonathan?” Alec and Magnus say at the same time. They look at each other, both with completely shocked faces. Correction: this night just got much, much worse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I'm so sorry for another cliffhanger... It's just what I do apparently. 
> 
> Anyways, as always thank you to ShadowGirl548 for being an amazing beta. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought in the comments (feel free to yell at me)
> 
> If you'd like, my twitter handle is @Malec_Forever__ and I always post on there when I update this fic.


	7. Jolene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 CHAPTERS IN THREE DAYS? HANNAH WOULD NEVER. (I was gonna post this later this week but then I got a comment on the last chapter requesting it so I kinda just said fuck it and am posting it now lol)
> 
> Again, I'm sorry in advance <3

“Sebastian?” “Jonathan?” 

Alec turns towards Magnus and sees an equally puzzled look in his eyes. 

“I have no idea what you two are on about. This is Christopher, my husband.” Camille flashes a much too big diamond ring and Alec can’t help but think it looks tacky. He turns to the man sitting next to her.  _ Christopher? _ Alec knows for a fact that this is Jonathan. As much as he despises the man, he would recognize those cold, black eyes anywhere. 

Alec turns to look at Magnus again, but instead of confusion, he sees a man who looks angry but also hurt. His face is a scowl, but it doesn’t quite cover the sadness that’s evident in his eyes.

Magnus completely ignores Camille and looks right at Jonathan.

“Sebastian. I haven’t seen you since high school. Going by Christopher nowadays? How sweet of you to try and hide your past. Unfortunately for you, not all of us have forgotten.” 

“Okay, I need someone to explain to me what’s going on right now,” Alec says, looking in between Magnus, Jonathan, and Camille, “This guy isn’t Christopher, or Sebastian. His name is Jonathan Morgenstern and I dated him in college.”

Both Magnus and Camille look at Alec in shock, but Jonathan just smirks. He hasn’t said anything during this entire conversation and Alec can’t help but feel like he’s enjoying the chaos. 

Magnus turns to Alec, “Wait, this is the guy you dated in college? I dated him in high school before I was out.”

“What are they talking about, darling?” Camille says through gritted teeth, her confident demeanor starting to crack. 

“Magnus, Alec, how lovely it is to see you both again. Camille, my love, that is a story for another time. Now, how do you to know each other?”

It’s Magnus’s turn to define their relationship, “Alexander is my boyfriend.”

“It’s only fitting that the two men I destroyed should end up together. Alexander Lightwood, the repressed heir to a homophobic throne and Magnus Bane, the scum of the street whose mother killed herself because she couldn’t believe what she had created. It’s pathetic really.” 

“What’s pathetic is changing your name every time you find a new victim. I always knew you were a coward, but I never thought you would stoop this low.” Magnus bites back. 

“I don’t buy it.” Camille chimes in, pointedly moving away from her husband. 

“Excuse me?” Alec asks. 

“I said I don’t buy it. I know for a fact that Magnus hasn’t been with anyone since me and there’s no way it would be with some  _ fag. _ ”

How many times could that word be used against him? Honestly, this isn’t high school anymore. They are all grown adults. Why are the two people standing in front of him acting like children? It’s Alec’s turn to put a bigot in their place. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you? First, you harass my boyfriend at work and now you have to try and worm your way into my relationship? I don’t think so.” 

At this point they are no longer backstage and a few people have started to notice the scene happening near the stage. The closing speech will be happening soon so more people are shuffling in.

“Prove it.” Jonathan (Sebastian, Christopher?) pipes in.

“What?” Alec responds. 

“Prove that you two are in a relationship.” Alec doesn’t miss the smirk that stretches across his face. This man doesn’t care about anyone, especially not the woman standing next to him that he claims to love. He just craves attention and chaos and anger. For once in his life, Alec is going to give this man exactly what he wants. Because what matters right now is putting Camille in her place, that’s what he came here to do and he’d be damned if he watched that spiteful bitch try to hurt Magnus anymore. 

“Fine.” Alec says, and without even thinking he grabs Magnus by the lapels and crashes their lips together. It’s not slow or loving, it’s heated and passionate and full of spite and anger. Kissing Magnus is nothing like Alec had imagined. It’s so much better. Magnus’s lips are warm and soft and full of so much hurt and emotion. The two men are spilling themselves into one another, no words needed to convey the feelings that they have for each other. Magnus’s hand comes up to Alec’s neck and Alec grabs Magnus by the waste, pulling him in and deepening the kiss. It’s messy and unplanned and  _ everything.  _ All at once, it’s all just too much for Alec so he pulls away and misses the way that Magnus’s lips chase after his.  _ It’s not real,  _ Alec reminds himself,  _ none of this is real. _ Alec gives him one last quick peck, just in case he never gets to feel those lips again, and turns to the rest of the room. Most of the people are staring at them in awe, Sebastian and Camille included. Alec studies the crowd and catches a glimpse of his father. His father looks beyond pissed as he walks out of the room.  _ Fuck you,  _ Alec thinks to himself. 

He turns back to face Sebastian and Camille.

“Satisfied?” Magnus asks. Camille looks disgusted, and it makes Alec smile. 

They walk away, but Alec sees the look on Jonathan’s face. He looks smug, like everything went according to his plan. Alec silently hopes that he never has to see that dick ever again. Then he looks at Camille; if the way that she treated Magnus at the hospital was any indication, she certainly isn’t happy that her new husband has been with at least two men. Magnus turns to look at Alec. 

“What the fuck just happened?” Magnus asks. 

“I honestly have no idea,” Alec responds, now realizing that he may have just made the biggest mistake of his life, “Magnus, I-I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking-”

“It’s quite alright Alec,” Magnus says unconvincingly, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom.” 

Before Alec can stop him, Magnus is quickling walking out of the room. 

_ What did you just do?  _ Alec thinks.

 

…

 

Magnus rushes to the bathroom. He needs to pull himself the fuck together. He makes it to the bathroom and locks himself inside on of the big, fancy stalls. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and rests his hands on the door in front of him. He  _ kissed  _ Alec. Well, more accurately, Alec kissed him. And to put it lightly, it was the hottest kiss Magnus has ever shared with anyone in his life. And he’s kissed a whole lot of people. But after it was done, it hit him like a ton of bricks that it was nothing. It  _ meant  _ nothing. It all happened so fast, seeing Camille and then Sebastian and then Alec’s lips were on his and Magnus couldn’t think straight anymore. He’s overheating and he wants to cry and smile all at the same time, but more than anything he just wants to kiss Alec again. To hold him and make him smile. He wants  _ Alec,  _ and all of the messy, unplanned things that come with him. He wants the inexperience and the horribly boring professor suits and the overprotective comments. He wants everything as long as it’s with Alec. 

But Alec doesn’t want that. Alec doesn’t want Magnus and he probably never will because, if he didn’t know before, now he really knows that Magnus’s life is a goddamn mess and it always has been. He feels the tears start to well in his eyes as he hears someone walk into the bathroom. 

“Magnus?” Catarina’s soft voice immediately makes Magnus feel a little bit better. But just a little.

“You’re not supposed to be in here.” Magnus sniffles. 

“Relax, there’s no one else in here and I locked the main door. Now will you come out here and talk to me?” 

Magnus sighs, but reluctantly opens the door. He turns to face her and he sees her smile immediately change into a frown.

“How did you know where I was?”

“Alec told me. I walked up to you guys after the little  _ scene  _ you made in the ballroom, but by the time I made it up to the stage you were already gone. Magnus, what’s wrong? I thought that you would be ecstatic, Alec is gorgeous.”

Magnus can feel the tears coming back at even the mention of Alec’s name, “He is gorgeous Cat. He’s gorgeous and kind and amazing and too good for me. The only reason he kissed me was to get Camille and Sebastian to leave me alone.” 

“Sebastian? Like, the Sebastian who outed you to your entire high school?” Catarina asks, shocked. 

“Yes, that Sebastian. Turns out that Alec dated him briefly in college and Camille is now married to the son of a bitch.” 

“Oh my God, Magnus. I am so sorry.” Catarina envelopes Magnus into a tight hug and just lets him cry for a minute, not minding if he’s getting makeup all over her shoulder. 

“I just don’t know what to do Cat. Seeing Sebastian brought up so many horrible memories, and I can’t imagine how Clary will react when she finds out that he’s back in town. They haven’t spoken since he moved away with their dad. And now he’s married to Camille? She asked me about Aldertree two weeks ago and somehow in those two weeks she managed to find the only person in this world who’s worse than her to marry? He used my mother against me, and now I’ll probably have to explain that to Alexander and to top it all off, I think that I might really be falling for him. But now he knows that I’m no more than damaged goods. Tonight was supposed to be fun for the both of us but instead I led him right to his abusive father and ex boyfriend. I fucked everything up before it even had a chance to start.”

Catarina places her hand on Magnus’s cheek, “Magnus, love, none of this is your fault. Sebastian and Camille are  _ horrible  _ people. Your past does not define you, and you can’t keep letting it get in the way of what, and  _ who, _ you want. I saw the way that Alec kissed you and it wasn’t nothing. You need to talk to him. I have a feeling that he doesn’t feel like your damaged goods. In fact, I think he believes you’re spectacular, baggage and all. You are not your mother, or your father, or Sebastian. You’re Magnus fucking Bane, Chief of Surgery at one of the best hospitals in New York. You’re kind, and amazing, and even when life knocks you down over and over again, you get back up. If Alec can’t see that, but I think that he does, then he’s not worth your time. I love you so much Magnus and I want you to realize that you have so much more to offer than you realize.” 

Magnus takes a deep, shaky breath and hugs Catarina again. He doesn’t know what to say, so he tries to convey everything that he’s feeling through the hug. He settles for a small “I love you” and then lets go of her. 

“I’m just worried that he hates me.” 

“You worry too much.” Cat says, smiling. 

There’s a soft knock on the bathroom door. 

“Magnus?” Alec’s soft voice barely makes it through the thick bathroom door. Magnus is terrified. Terrified of losing someone that already means so much to him. But he knows that they need to talk.

He looks at Cat and sighs, “How’s my makeup look?” 

“Like shit. Might wanna fix it a bit before I let him in here.” She smiles and then unlocks the door to talk with Alec for a second, giving him time to try and wipe the black streaks off of his face. He still doesn’t look great, but it’ll just have to do. Alec walks in while Magnus is still looking in the mirror, he hears Alec lock the door but can’t quite bring himself to turn around quite yet. When he finally does, he’s greeted with the most lovely hazel eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeekk this chapter was honestly so fun to write so I hope y'all enjoyed it... and that you don't wanna murder me. But please, feel free to yell at me in the comments lol. I promised fluff and there will be so much fluff soon and y'all aren't even prepared... The next few chapters will probably be more spread out posting wise, but it won't be longer than a week in between posts. 
> 
> Anywayyy thank you to ShadowGirl548 as always. You rock!
> 
> My twitter handle is @Malec_Forever__ if y'all wanna follow it. If not that's totally chill. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! <3


	8. No Reason to Hurry Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! This one is one of my favorites so I hope that y'all enjoy it!

 

As soon as Magnus makes it through the door Catarina and Ragnor walk up to Alec.

“Where’s Magnus?” Catarina asks. 

“Um, he said he was going the bathroom.” Alec replies, still shaken up from everything that had just happened. Catarina quickly heads out of the room towards the bathroom but Ragnor stays with Alec. 

“Would you perhaps mind telling me what on earth just happened?” Ragnor asks. He doesn’t sound angry though. In fact, there’s a small smirk on his face. Alec already hates the conversation he’s about to have. 

“I think I just messed everything up.” Alec responds, grimly.

“What?” Ragnor asks, clearly confused. “I just watched the two of you passionately snog in front of the entire ballroom  _ and  _ Camille. Magnus must be positively thrilled.” 

“Why would he have been thrilled? I thought that Magnus wasn’t into relationships.” 

Ragnor snorts, clearly not picking up on just how anxious and freaked out Alec is. “Oh please, Magnus puts up this hard and cold exterior, but he’s actually quite romantic. Besides, he was just telling me the other day that you were the one who suggested just being friends. He sounded quite devastated.” 

“Wait, I thought Magnus wanted to just be friends.” Alec says, the gears starting to turn in his brain. Had he completely misread this entire situation? 

Ragnor rolls his eyes and groans, “Honestly, how clueless can the both of you be? Magnus likes you, clearly you like Magnus. It’s really not that complicated.” 

The answer is: yes. He had completely misread the situation. And he’s also realizing that the entire reason that Magnus had run off to the bathroom was because he thinks that Alec doesn’t care. That the kiss meant nothing to him. He needs to tell him the truth. He needs him to know that it meant everything. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I have something I need to take care of.” Alec says, straightening his jacket.

“ _ Clearly.”  _ Ragnor says, smirking. 

Alec takes a deep breath. Ragnor hands him a glass of champagne and, despite thinking it might possibly be the worst tasting champagne he’s ever had, Alec downs it in one go and hands the empty glass back to Ragnor. He then walks out of the room and towards the restrooms. 

He’s just about to make it to the door when someone grabs his shoulder and whips him around. Of course it’s Robert, because why the fuck not?

“I really don’t have time for this right now.” Alec says trying to turn back, but his father doesn’t let go of his arm. 

“How dare you embarrass me in front of all of those people! You’re a disgrace.”

Alec rolls his eyes, “Actually Dad, that’s not true. You’re just a bigot who thinks he has the audacity to tell me that I’m a disgrace when he’s the one who left his family for his secretary. I don’t have time for this, and I certainly don’t have time for you. Goodbye Robert.” 

Alec walks away, completely ignoring the slurs and insults coming from behind him. He’s sure that the press are all over this party, so he doesn’t need to say anything else. His father just ended his own career and that was plenty for Alec. 

He stops at the door.  _ This is it,  _ he thinks,  _ no going back now.  _ He knocks softly. 

“Magnus?” He says tentatively. He can hear Magnus and Catarina talking on the other side but chooses not to listen to the exact words. It’s a private moment and Alec doesn’t want to eavesdrop. A few seconds later Catarina comes out of the door. 

“You both are idiots.” She says, deadpan. 

“Trust me, I know. I already talked to Ragnor.” 

“Good,” Catrina says patting him lightly on the shoulder, “Now go get your man.” 

Catarina smiles and walks away, leaving Alec to take in a long, shaky breath. He grabs 

the handle and walks into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He finds Magnus looking in the mirror with his hands on the counter. Magnus doesn’t immediately turn to face him but when he does Alec’s heart breaks. Magnus has the remnants of tears in his eyes and his makeup is slightly streaked down his face. It hurts every part of Alec’s being to see Magnus like this, knowing that it’s his fault. He swears that he never wants to be the reason that Magnus cries again. 

Alec’s never been particularly good with words. He always looks at things from a logical, factual perspective. He’s always had trouble expressing his emotions through conversations, and right now he is especially frustrated about that fact. Not knowing what to say to make the beautiful, sad man in front of him feel better felt like an absolute travesty. All he wanted was to see Magus smile again, to see his eyes light up like they do when he talks about his friends. 

Instead of words, Alec simply strides forward and wraps Magnus up in his arms. Alec 

feels Magnus tense, confused as to what exactly is going on, but then he relaxes into the touch and wraps his arms around Alec’s waist.  

“I’m so sorry Magnus.” Alec whispers, moving his hand up to cradle the back of Magnus’s head. 

Magnus doesn’t respond and Alec soon realizes that it’s because he has started crying again. As much as Alec wants to stay entangled with him forever, he pulls away. Magnus tries to turn away but Alec softly takes Magnus’s face in both of his hands. 

“What’s wrong? Please talk to me.” 

Magnus sniffles, “You don’t have to pretend.”

“Pretend what?”

“That you like me. I know that you just want to be friends, and that’s fine, it’s just that I don’t want to be just friends. I know that I’m a lot and that I come with a lot of baggage, but I want to be with you. I want to kiss you again.” 

“Then why don’t you?” Alec asks, heart racing at Magnus’s confession. 

“Because you don’t want that.” 

Alec rolls his eyes and then uses his hands to pull Magnus towards him, softly pressing their lips together. As soon as their lips touch Magnus pulls away, placing a hand in front of him.

“Stop. I know that you don’t want this. That you don’t want  _ me.”  _ Magnus says. In that moment, it dawns on Alec just how much Magnus has been hurt. It’s not that Alec hasn’t been showing Magnus how much he cares about him, it’s that Magnus doesn’t understand why anyone would. 

“Magnus,” Alec says, tentatively stepping forward and grabbing Magnus’s hand, “I want this. I want you. I’m sorry that I made you feel like I didn’t care because the truth is that I care more about you then you will ever be able to comprehend. I know that this is new, that we’re new, but I want to be with you too. I don’t care about your past, I care about who you are now. Please believe me Magnus… I want to be yours just as much as you want to be mine.” 

Magnus’s hard exterior softens and he smiles at Alec. 

“Also, both Ragnor and Catarina say that we’re idiots.” 

Magnus chuckles, moving forward, still holding onto Alec’s hand. 

“Sounds like they’re right. I’m just confused because you said that you just wanted to be friends.” 

Alec sighs, “I said that because I thought that’s what you wanted. I  just wanted to kiss you.” 

Magnus smirks, “Then why didn’t you ?” Magnus says, mimicking Alec’s words from before. Alec smiles and leans in again. Instead of pulling away, Magnus’s lips meet his with just as much excitement. This kiss is nothing like the first one they shared. It’s soft and light and exactly what they both need right now. 

They could’ve kissed like that for hours, but they are interrupted by a loud knock on the door. 

“I gotta pee!” A man’s voice comes from the other side of the door, clearly irritated. 

They both chuckle. 

“They probably just finished the closing speech. We should head back out.” Magnus says, turning towards the mirror to try and salvage his tear stained face. When he’s finally somewhat satisfied Alec grabs his hand and they unlock the bathroom door, ignoring the questioning looks from the men waiting outside the restroom.  

 

…

 

“There you two are!” Catarina exclaims, clearly smiling when she notices that they’re holding hands. 

“ _ Finally,” _ Ragnor rolls his eyes, “I’ve been listening to Magnus pine over his cute neighbor for the past two weeks and I didn’t think I could stand it anymore.” 

“Yeah,” Alec says scratching the back of his neck, “like you both said, we’re idiots.” 

“Cute idiots.” Magnus replies, smiling up at Alec. 

“Get a room already.” Ragnor scoffs. 

“Oh we plan to, my dear Cabbage,” Magnus winks at Alec as the blush creeps up his pale cheeks, “But not until we’ve taken full advantage of the open bar. I do remember that after the closing speech last year was when the real party began.” 

It was only 10:00 PM and Magnus was going to spend the rest of his night having a wonderful time with his boyfriend.  _ Boyfriend.  _ Magnus could definitely get used to this. 

“Come on, my dear. Let’s go find some of that  _ awful  _ champagne to drink.” Magnus says, smirking at Ragnor who just scowls back. 

Alec smiles back at Magnus and they head to the bar together. Sneakily, Magnus swipes an entire bottle of champagne and they head to one of the back rooms while no one is looking. They somehow manage to make it inside a much smaller ballroom which has fancy chairs and couches lining the outer walls. They take a seat on one of the couches and break into the bottle of champagne. 

“Are you sure that Magnus and Catarina won’t be upset with us for stealing an entire bottle of this stuff?” Alec asks, cringing as he takes a big swig of champagne straight from the bottle. 

“Eh, they probably won’t even notice that it’s gone. Lord knows they’ll probably have plenty left over that they’ll give to their friends anyway.”

They both laugh and then settle into a comfortable silence. Magnus can’t help but think that this just feels so right, sitting here with Alec so close to him. It feels like coming home. 

“Hey Magnus?” Alec asks, already pretty drunk considering they’ve already finished off most of the bottle. 

“Yes?” Magnus says, turning to face Alec. 

“Can I kiss you?”

Magnus giggles at his question, but he sees the sincerity in Alec’s eyes. 

“Of course my dear. You never have to ask.” Magnus responds, leaning in to capture Alec’s lips with his own. They kiss slowly, softly. Magnus can taste the champagne on Alec’s lips, and he’s sure he tastes about the same. The kiss is lazy, unhurried. Magnus can’t help but think that this moment is perfect. Alec’s lips are a bit dry, but incredibly soft, and after a minute, Magnus can’t help the moan that slips out of him when Alec deepens the kiss a bit. Alec pulls back and suddenly Magnus feels incredibly embarrassed. And drunk. Embarrassed and very drunk. 

“I’m sorry Alec I-”

“Magnus,” Alec says, lifting his hand to caress Magnus’s cheek, “don’t apologize. I was just surprised that I could pull such a beautiful sound from you.”

It’s Magnus’s turn to blush as Alec leans in to kiss him again. 

They kiss for a bit longer before deciding that they should probably head home. It’s almost midnight now and they are both feeling pretty tired from both the champagne and the emotions from tonight. Magnus grabs Alec’s hand and they get up from the couch. When they make it back to the main ballroom, there are still quite a few people drinking and chatting. Magnus notes the absence of Camille, Sebastian, and Alec’s father and silently thanks whoever might be listening. They spot Ragnor and Catarina and decide to say goodbye to them. 

“There you two are.” Catarina says, eyeing them suspiciously, “Where have you been for the past two hours?”

“That’s none of your business Cat,” Magnus says, hiccupping at the end, “We just came to say goodbye and thank you for the wonderful evening.” 

“Alright.” Ragnor says, pulling Magnus towards him so that he can whisper in his ear, “Maybe wait until at least tomorrow for whatever you have planned. You’re both incredibly drunk.” 

Magnus swats Ragnor’s shoulder, “I will have you know I am a perfect gentleman and plan on dropping Alec off at his place before heading back to my own.”

“That’s not much of a promise, considering your next door neighbors.” Ragnor smirks. 

“Whatever. Have a lovely rest of your nigh Cabbage, and if you have any leftover booze you know who to call.” 

Magnus turns back towards Alec. 

“Are you ready Magnus?”

“Of course my dear.” He hugs Catarina goodbye and then they start walking back to the apartment building. 

It takes them a bit longer to make it home than it had taken to get to the ballroom but that’s mostly because they keep getting distracted by each other and stumbling because of the alcohol. When they finally manage to make it back it’s well past 1:00 in the morning. They stumble to the elevator, thanking the doorman.

As soon as the doors to the levator are closed, Magnus has Alec slammed against the wall, kissing him furiously. It’s a very heated kiss, hands wandering all over each other’s bodies, but as soon as they make it back to Alec’s apartment, Magnus pulls away. 

“As much as I would like to continue what we’ve started, I think that we could both use a bit of rest. And I want to take things slow with you… You’re different than everyone else I’ve ever dated.” Magnus says, still drowning in Alec’s hazel eyes. 

“What do you mean?” Alec asks, puzzled. 

“You’ve unlocked something in me. Something that I don’t think I’ve ever felt before. Goodnight Alexander.” Magnus gives Alec one more soft kiss before letting go of his hand and heading back to his own apartment. Magnus falls asleep with the taste of Alec on his lips and stunning neck tattoos on his mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, leave me a comment telling me what you thought :)
> 
> Shout out to ShadowGirl548 for being the best beta ever and never judging my dumb mistakes XD


	9. Green(Hazel)-Eyed Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: PLEASE TALK WITH ME ABOUT THE TRAILER IN THE COMMENTS I AM ABSOLUTELY SHOOK AND HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY. 
> 
> Second of all: I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. It's full of fluff and a bit of smut.

**** Magnus wakes up hungover as hell, but he feels incredibly happy. When he groggily opens his eyes he can’t quite remember why his heart feels so full. Once he fully wakes up he remembers the party and smiles. It may have been a rollercoaster, but it ended with him kissing Alec, so all’s well that ends well. His stomach turns a little bit at the thought of Sebastian and Camille (perhaps because of all of the champagne) but he pushes all thoughts of those two out of his minda and lets it fill with thoughts of a certain hazel-eyed boy.  _ His  _ hazel-eyed boy. After laying and just thinking about Alec for a while, he remembers that he can literally just walk down the hallway and see the man in person. It is a Sunday after all, and Magnus still has 2 weeks until his break is over. Might as well make the most of it. 

He yawns and checks the time. 10:00 AM. That’s surprisingly early for Magnus, especially after a long night of drinking, but he can’t help but want to see Alec as soon as possible. He gets up from bed and heads to the bathroom. He looks like shit. He completely neglected to take his makeup off before bed last night, and his eyes are extremely puffy from crying. He takes a makeup wipe and cleanses his face before hopping into a quick, far too hot shower. Once he’s done, he brushes his teeth, puts on cologne and deodorant and decides he’s just too eager to see his boyfriend and doesn’t blow dry his hair. He throws on an emerald green t-shirt, black leather pants and his chucks. He decides to wear these particular pants because he knows they make his ass look amazing. 

At around 10:45 he heads out the door. As he walks down to Alec’s apartment he becomes increasingly aware that Alec might not want to see him so soon. Or he might have plans. Once he reaches the door he’s deciding whether or not to even knock when the door swings open. 

“Magnus? Hi.” Alec says, smiling dopily. 

“Alexander. I’m sorry, are you going to meet someone? I can leave.” Magnus says shyley. 

“No!” Alec says, a bit too loud, “I mean, I was going to meet someone but that someone is you. I made breakfast and wanted to know if you wanted any.”

It’s at this moment that Magnus smells the glorious smell of pancakes wafting through the door. 

“I could never resist pancakes. Or you.” Magnus smiles and walks past Alec into his apartment. It looks different than it did when he was here for the party. Much more… laid back. If it were anyone else he would say that it’s a bit too plain, but it fits Alec’s personality well. He turns into the kitchen and sees the pancake’s stacked on a plate. He then turns towards the living room and sees the table set with two plates, two mimosas, strawberries, and a white candle in the middle. Magnus’s heart feels so full. 

When Magnus turns around to tell Alec how wonderful it all is he catches Alec appreciating his ass. Magnus smirks, but can’t help the feeling that’s brewing low in his stomach. 

“I see I’m not the only one who’s enjoying the view,” He winks at Alec, who looks mortified at being caught, “This is positively lovely my dear. You didn’t have to go through all of this trouble for our second date.”

“Second?”

“Of course. Last night was our first.”

“Ah, so you wanted it to be an official date the entire time?” Alec says, moving forward and placing his hands on Magnus’s hip. Magnus responds by placing his hands on Alec’s neck and rolling his eyes.

“Of course dummy. Have you ever seen yourself?”

Alec laughs and gives Magnus a quick peck. Magnus whines when Alec pulls away, but then realizes that Alec is moving to get their breakfast ready. 

They each start with two pancakes, Alec sticking with butter and syrup while Magnus slathers his in peanut butter and syrup. Alec gives him a disapproving look but Magnus just shrugs and digs in. The pancakes are absolutely delicious and fluffy and Magnus can’t help the filthy moan that escapes his lips. Okay, maybe he exaggerated it a bit, but no one has to know. 

“ _ Alexander,  _ I think these might be the best pancakes I’ve ever had.” Magnus says, taking another big bite. When Alec doesn’t respond after a minute, he looks up at Alec. Alec has a piece of pancake on his fork, but he’s just staring at Magnus, lips slightly parted and eyes wide. 

“Alexander?” Magnus asks, snapping him out of the weird trance state that he was previously in. 

“Oh- uh- sorry. What did you say?” ALec asks, quickly shoving the pancake bite in his mouth as his face turns bright red. 

“I was just saying that these might be the best pancakes that I’ve ever had.” Magnus smiles at Alec as Alec’s eyes light up. Magnus has a feeling that Alec doesn’t get complimented that often and he can’t help but think it’s an absolute travesty. Alec deserves to know how wonderful he is. In fact, Magnus plans to tell him (or show him) just how wonderful he truly is every single day. 

 

…

 

Alec really hadn’t expected to see Magnus standing at his door when he left to invite him over for breakfast. It was a really nice surprise and Magnus looked absolutely adorable and sexy at the same time. His hair was still wet, flopping over his face. He wasn’t wearing any makeup, eyes still a bit puffy from last night (which made Alec’s heart ache), and his lips were shimmering with chapstick. He also showed up wearing the most sinfully tight leather pants that Alec had ever seen. Magnus knew exactly what he was doing when he put those pants on and Alec couldn’t help but stare at his boyfriends magnificent ass. Even though he was a bit embarrassed when he got caught staring he couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. 

Then, catching Alec completely off guard, Magnus full on moaned when he took his first bite of his pancake, and Alec couldn’t breathe anymore. The sound went straight to his crotch and he got lost imagining Magnus making that sound during an activity  _ much _ dirtier than breakfast. As soon as he came back to reality, he found Magnus smiling at him, expecting a response to something that Alec hadn’t even heard him say. 

After that, they settle into comfortable conversation. 

“So the whole gang invited me out for dinner tonight, I was wondering if you might like to join us?” Alexander asks, a gleam of hope in his eyes. 

“Of course my dear. As long as I won’t be intruding.”

“You could never intrude Magnus.” Alec says sincerely, because he really does mean it. Magnus could never possibly be an intrusion into Alec’s life. He fits perfectly and Alec doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. 

Magnus agrees and soon they’re both done with their breakfast. Even though it could technically be called lunch, given that it’s almost noon, but neither of them seem to care. Alec gets up, grabbing the dishes and going to the sink to wash them. Magnus follows with the empty mimosa glasses and Alec turns towards him. 

“You don’t have to help me clean Magnus, you’re my guest.” 

“But what if I want to help Alexander? The sooner that we finish the dishes the sooner we can move on to other activities.” Magnus winks at Alec and starts rinsing the dishes. Magnus washes while Alec dries, trying far too hard not to be affected by Magnus’s earlier implications. Alec isn’t quite ready to have sex with Magnus, but even the thought of simply kissing Magnus makes him feel things. Once Alec places the last dish on the dish rack, he turns towards Magnus and is taken completely by surprise by the clump of bubbles that hits him in the middle of his face. He hears Magnus’s warm laugh and decides to retaliate by grabbing a scoop of bubbles and plopping it on the top of Magnus’s head. 

Pretty soon, it breaks into a full on bubble war, and Alec isn’t entirely sure who grabs the sprayer first, but they both end up completely soaked and covered in bubbles. Magnus gets one final splash in before Alec grabs him and plants their lips together. Magnus’s lips taste like peanut butter with a hint of soap. The soap part isn’t entirely pleasant, but Magnus’s lips are still just as intoxicating as they were the night before. Soon, Magnus has Alec pushed up against the kitchen counter and is pressing their bodies as close together as he can manage. Alec grabs Magnus’s waste and flips them around so that Magnus is the one against the counter. He doesn’t miss the small squeak and moan it draws from Magnus. He smiles into the kiss before pulling away and attaching his lips to Magnus’s neck. Magnus throws his head back, groaning at the way that Alec already knows at least one of his sweet spots. Alec kisses down his jaw and neck until he reaches Magnus’s pulse point. He bites lightly, testing the waters, which earns him a low moan and Magnus’s hands reaching down to squeeze Alec’s ass. Alec moans as well, and then immediately feels embarrassed. Magnus must notice because he places a hand on Alec’s cheek and pulls him up until he’s eye level. 

“There’s no need to be embarrassed pup.” Magnus says, smiling. 

“Pup?” Alec asks, arching a brow.

“Panda?”

“No.” 

“Whatever,” Manus respond with an eyeroll, “my point is that I want to hear you. Please don’t hold back.”

Alec places his hand on Magnus’s cheek and pulls him for another kiss. This one starts softer, but soon becomes hated again. Alec feels Magnus’s hands reach under his shirt. Alec pulls away from Magnus to lift his soaked shirt over his head, throwing it somewhere across the kitchen. He immediately attaches his lips back to Magnus’s and feels Magnus hum in appreciation as his hands softly trace Alec’s bare abs. Magnus’s hands make Alec shiver. He pulls away from Magnus again in order to take Magnus’s shirt off this time. He lifts the emerald green top over Magnus’s head and is completely taken aback by how beautiful Magnus’s chest is. Of course, he knew it would be, but seeing it, touching the smooth skin stretched across Magnus’s chest, is a religious experience. 

“Wow.” Alec breathes out. 

Magnus takes this moment to turn Alec and press him against the wall, then moves to trail soft kisses on Alec’s neck and shoulders. Magnus bites down and Alec doesn’t even try to suppress the low moan that escapes his throat. Magnus is incredible. 

Somehow, the end up on the couch, Magnus straddling Alec’s hips as they continue to kiss and touch and just  _ feel.  _ Magnus grinds his hips down just a bit, testing the waters, when Alec pulls away. 

“Too much?” Magnus asks, apologetically. 

“No, not at all… I just,” Alec hesitates, “I just want to take this slow.”

Magnus climbs off of Alec’s lap, and Alec can’t help but miss the warmth of Magnus’s body. 

“I do too. I just got a bit carried away. I’m very sorry Alexander.”

“Hey,” Alec says, trying not to sound as wrecked as he is, “please don’t apologize. I want this and I want it with you, I just think we should wait a bit longer. Start with the small stuff first I guess.”

Magnus smiles back at Alec, but there’s a hint of mischief in his eyes as he moves the hair out of Alec’s face. “Well, whenever you’re ready my dear Alexander, do let me know. I think you’ll be quite pleased with the outcome.”

Magnus then places his other hand on Alec’s inner thigh. Alec is about to lean in for another kiss but Magnus abruptly gets up. 

“I must be getting back to my apartment. I have to get ready for dinner tonight. I’ll see you later Alexander.” Magnus turns back one more time, winks, and is then out the door. 

Alec feels absolutely wrecked, lips puffy, and his pants feel much too tight. In that moment he decides he needs a shower, like now, and strips out of his damp jeans and boxers. He hops into the shower and can’t help the images that come to his mind.  _ Those damn leather pants,  _ he thinks as his hand trails further down his body. The water might definitely be cold by the time he gets out, but he can’t find it in himself to care. If Magnus is going to be the death of him, he’ll welcome it with open arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave me a comment and tell me what you thought of the chapter but also (like I said before) tell me your thoughts on the trailer. I need to know. 
> 
> Thank you to ShadowGirl548, as always! 
> 
> Check me out on twitter @Malec_Forever__ you'll basically just find this fic and me freaking about about that malec training scene in the trailer.


	10. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclaimer: there are many sexy times to come from this point forward so I didn't want y'all to be caught off guard. 
> 
> Enjoy another annoyingly adorable chapter!

Once Magnus makes it back to his apartment he latches the door and then rests his back against it, closing his eyes. He lets out a shaky breath, completely wrecked from his previous activities with Alec. He hadn’t really needed to leave so quickly, but Magnus has a reputation to uphold. There’s no way he was going to show Alec just how much he affects Magnus after a slightly heated makeout session. 

It’s going to be hard to keep his hands off of Alec, but he wants take things slow as well. They’re in no rush and Magnus wants to take his sweet time wrecking Alec. After he finally manages to pull himself somewhat together he realizes that he’s still shirtless. He smirks as he imagines Alec finding his shirt on the kitchen floor later. 

He strips out of his damp pants and hops in the shower just to rinse the left over soap off, and maybe to shamelessly imagine a naked Alexander. After he rinses off, it’s only 2:00 PM. He dries his hair and throws on his silk robe before realizing that he’s still a bit exhausted from the night before. He decides to take a quick nap on the couch, which turns into two hours. When he wakes up, he realizes that he only has three hours to get ready, so he better get started. He has every intention of making Alec squirm tonight, and he’s really looking forward to it. 

He starts by picking out his outfit. After a few tries he decides on a black floral button-up (leaving a few too many buttons open at the top), tucked into tight red pants and his lace up dress shoes. He tops it with a few silver necklaces, his swirl ear cuff, and a couple of rings. He looks at himself in the mirror and feels a little bit nervous. He knows that he doesn’t need anyone’s approval except Alec’s, but he still wants all of Alec’s friends (family) to like him. He knows that they all already do, but it’s different now. He wants to be approved as Alec’s boyfriend rather than just a friend.

After he finally decides that his outfit is good enough, He styles his hair and starts on his makeup. He decides to do a bit of black eyeshadow and a black wing. He adds a hint of red underneath his eyes to match his pants and finishes off with a silver highlight. The puffiness in his eyes has gone down significantly since this morning, but he still hopes that no one will notice. 

As always, he finishes by painting his nails. He goes with a simple black quick dry polish with a shiny top coat. He has a bit of extra time so he decides to paint his toenails a bright pink just for fun and to make the time go by faster. Once his toenails are dry it’s 6:50. He puts on his black socks and shoes and decides to head over to Alec’s just a bit early when there’s a loud knock on his door. He walks over to the door and opens it, finding two girls smirking at him while Alec stands sheepily behind them. 

“I tried to stop them but-” Alec starts, before getting cut off by Izzy. 

“I believe this is yours.” Izzy says, holding out Magnus’s emerald shirt. Magnus smiles and takes the shirt from Isabelle. 

“Hello Isabelle, Lydia. It is wonderful to see the two of you again.” Both girls squeal and wrap Magnus in a tight hug. 

“We’re so happy for you two.” Lydia says, and Magnus actually believes her. 

 

…

 

After Alec gets out of the shower he decides to watch some TV and try to distract himself from how many more hours he has until he gets to see Magnus again. He only needs about an hour to get ready for dinner, and it’s only 2:30. He ends up marathoning most of the first season of a TV show called “The Good Place” before deciding he should get ready. He throws on a black sweater, black skinny jeans and a dark maroon jacket. He would normally just wear his black leather jacket, but Magnus has inspired him to wear more color, even if it’s not a lot. 

He decides to wear his trusty black combat boots and even decides to slip on a black ring that Izzy got for him a few years back. Magnus really is starting to rub off on him. He styles his hair and then he’s all ready to go. He thinks about maybe heading over to Magnus’s a bit early when there’s a knock at his door. He hears two female voices coming from outside and he already knows that Izzy and Lydia are the ones in the hallway. He groans and opens the door.

“Hello big brother!” Izzy says, eyes trailing up and down his outfit, “you look pretty nice for someone who’s moping. How did the fake date go last night?”

“I’m not moping. It went fine. How was your dinner?” Alec says as the girls step inside, skirting around the subject of Magnus. He was planning on telling everyone at dinner so he figures there’s no harm in keeping it a secret for just a little longer. 

“‘Not moping my ass, Alec. I can’t imagine you didn’t drool at the way Magnus looked last night.”  

“He did look pretty incredible.” Alec says quietly. 

“Oh Alec, are you alright?” Izzy says, concern in her eyes. He feels a bit bad, but this is also payback for the shit she pulled with Magnus. 

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry about me so much.” Alec says, smiling back at his sister. She’s wearing a black jumpsuit and Lydia’s wearing a pale pink dress. They would make a stunning couple if they would just admit they are one. 

“Yeah, Iz.  _ Don’t  _ worry about him,” Lydia says smugly, picking something up off the kitchen floor, “Whose shirt is this Alec?” 

It takes him a minute to realize that the item Lydia is holding is Magnus’s shirt from earlier today.  _ Fuck,  _ Alec thinks. Just seeing the shirt reminds him of what they did earlier this morning and he can’t help but be affected by it. He turns away from Lydia’s accusatory gaze to try and cover the blush that’s creeping up his face. 

“Alec! Here I thought you were stuck pining over Magnus while you had someone else over last night,” Izzy says, pausing, “Unless…” 

Before Alec even realizes what’s going on Izzy and Lydia take the shirt and race out the door. 

“Wait!” Alec calls, running after them, but it’s too late. They’re already knocking on Magnus’s door when Alec finally catches up to them. 

Magnus opens the door, and Alec can’t believe that he manages to take his breath away every time they see each other. He looks beautiful, as always. 

“I tried to stop them but-”

“I believe this is yours.” Izzy says, holding out the shirt. 

Magnus just smirks at Alec and takes the shirt. 

“Hello Isabelle, Lydia. It is wonderful to see the two of you again.” Alec watches as they engulf Magnus in a hug and he can’t help but feel like his heart could burst at the sight. Izzy and Magnus may not have started on the best terms, but Alec has a feeling that they’re going to become great friends.

“We’re so happy for you two.” Lydia says as they pull away from Magnus. Then, Izzy turns around and punches Alec in the shoulder.

“You were just gonna sit there and let me believe you were still pining? Some brother you are.” Izzy says while Alec rubs his shoulder. She’s surprisingly strong for her height. 

“Sorry Iz, I just figured it would be fun to mess with you a bit. I was gonna tell everyone at dinner tonight,” Izzy’s face lights up, “Which I’m still planning on doing so please let me decide when I feel like it’s the right time.” He finishes before she can decide that she’s going to be the one to tell everyone the news. 

“My lips are sealed.” Izzy says, even though Alec doesn’t fully believe her. 

Alec turns to Magnus and smiles, “You ready?” Alec asks. 

“Do I look ready?” Magnus asks with an arched brow.

“You look edible, actually.” Alec says, shocking everyone, including himself, with his bluntness. 

“Right,” Magnus says, voice cracking, “Let’s go.” 

He locks his apartment door and then grabs Alec’s hand. Something is off about Magnus but Alec can’t quite put his finger on it. He makes a mental note to ask about it later. At some point while they’re walking to the restaurant, Magnus ends up in a deep conversation with Lydia about broken bones and Izzy ends up walking next to Alec a bit ahead of them. Alec can’t help but feel like this was done on purpose. 

“So… How was it?” Izzy asks. 

“How was what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me Alec,” Izzy says, moving slightly closer, “How was the sex? With Magnus?” 

Alec looks around, “Can you not discuss my sex life with the entire city of Brooklyn please?”

Izzy lowers her voice, “Sorry. But spill.”

“We didn’t have sex.” 

Izzy snorts, “His shirt was on your kitchen floor Alec, you really expect me to believe that?”

“We really didn’t. We made out this morning, thus the shirt on the kitchen floor, but we both decided that we want to take this slow. Plus… I-I’ve never had sex before.”

“What?!” Izzy says far too loudly, getting the attention of both Magnus and Lydia.

“You two okay up there?” Lydia calls up to them. 

“Fine. Thanks.” Alec responds, allowing them to get back to their previous smart person conversation. 

“Never?” Izzy says, much quieter this time. 

“Yeah. And as far as I know Magnus has a ton of experience and I’m just worried that it won’t be any good for him when it actually does happen.”

“Alec, I’m sure you’ll be great. You’ve got really big hands and a rockin’ bod. You’ll do just fine.” Izzy pats Alec’s shoulder before stopping. 

“We’re here!” Izzy calls out. 

They’ve stopped in front of the Jade Wolf, the fanciest chinese restaurant in town. 

“Wow, I didn’t realize we were going somewhere so fancy for family dinner. Is it a special occasion?” Alec asks. 

“Dunno. Mom set it all up. Apparently there’s an entire separate space for bigger parties in the back. There’s like private bathrooms and everything.” 

Magnus winks at Alec and squeezes his ass. Alec yelps and the three others just laugh. Alec has a feeling he’s going to have an interesting night. 

 

…

 

Once they are escorted to the back room it looks like everyone has already arrived. Magnus sees Clary, Maia, Maryse, Luke, Jace, and Simon.

“Ah, how kind of you to all show up.” Maryse says, no real malice behind her words. 

They all exchange hugs and hellos before the waiter comes in to take drink orders. Magnus orders a Jade Cocktail and Alec orders a beer. After the waiter leaves, conversation falls easily on the group. After a while, Alec pipes in. 

“This place is really nice Mom. Is it a special occasion?” 

“I just wanted to treat you all to a nice dinner.” Maryse says, but Magnus doesn’t miss the way that Maryse looks at Luke. There’s more to the story, but he’ll let it go for now. 

Everyone orders their dinner and then they all start chatting about work and school and various things. Simon talks about his band for a bit, apparently they’re calling it Rock Solid Panda now. Magnus actually likes the name, it’s unique.

“So Alec, how’s the teaching going?” Luke asks. 

“It’s good. I like most of my classes besides the one on Monday mornings. I have no motivation that early and neither do any of the students.” Alec responds. 

“I bet the only reason why any of them even show up is because of the hot professor.” Magnus whispers into Alec’s ear while no one’s paying attention. He places his hand on Alec’s knee and then slowly slides it up his inner thigh. Alec chokes on his water, coughing and drawing everyone’s attention. Magnus acts innocent, checking to make sure that Alec’s alright, but Alec just glares at him. Magnus would be worried except he can see that Alec’s eyes hold no real threat. In fact, his pupils are clearly dilated and Magnus isn’t done teasing yet.

The food arrives and the conversation lulls while everyone focuses on their food. Magnus takes this opportunity to slide his hand down Alec’s back and slightly under the back of Alec’s shirt. He feels Alec tense for a second before relaxing into the calming circles that Magnus starts tracing on the bare skin. He lets Alec get comfortable before sliding his hand down further and squeezing Alec’s ass. Alec yelps, drawing everyone’s attention. 

“Alec, are you alright?” Maryse asks, worried. 

“I’m fine.” Alec says, voice a bit higher than it should be. 

Izzy and Lydia both laugh quietly while everyone else looks concerned. 

“Are you sure buddy? Your face is bright red.” Jace asks.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna go to the bathroom real fast.” Alec quickly gets up and Magnus doesn’t miss how Alec holds his napkin on his lap a bit longer than necessary. Magnus smirks. 

After a couple of minutes of Alec being gone, Magnus excuses himself in order to go check on Alec. He checks the bathroom but Alec isn’t there. He then sees a room labelled “Powder Room” and opens the door. As soon as he gets inside of the room Alec’s got him pressed against the wall, kissing down his neck. Magnus moans and grabs Alec’s hair as Alec takes his lobe in between his teeth. Alec untucks Magnus’s shirt and runs his hands up the smooth skin, moving to kiss Magnus’s lips. Alec then starts to move his hands back down until they reach Magnus’s waistband. Alec runs his hand over Magnus’s crotch before abruptly pulling away. 

“Two can play at this game.” He says before winking at Magnus and quickly leaving the room. Magnus is left completely speechless.  _ Damn Alec and his new found confidence,  _ Magnus thinks. As he tries to calm himself back down he gets a bit anxious about the whole ordeal. Had he pushed Alec too far? Alec wants to take this slow but he just touched Magnus in a way that he hasn’t done before. After he tucks his shirt back in, Magnus decides that he’s going to pull Alec aside and tell him that he hadn’t intended to pressure him into anything. He just wanted to tease a bit, but maybe he really did take things too far. After he fixes his hair in the mirror and makes sure there aren’t any obvious marks on his neck, he turns around to head out the door. It’s only been a couple of minutes since Alec left so no one will think much of it. Right as he’s about to leave, someone bursts through the door. Well actually, two people. 

Luke and Maryse are attached to each others lips as Luke pushes her against the closed door. Magnus takes a moment, not fully understanding the situation before realizing that he definitely should not be witnessing this. 

“Ahem.” Magnus clears his throat. Luke and Maryse abruptly stop, turning slowly towards Magnus. Magnus has an amused look on his face, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

“Hello Magnus.” Maryse says, clearly embarrassed. 

“Hello. So this is why we’re at such a fancy restaurant?”

“Uh, yeah…” Luke says sheepishly, “We were gonna tell everyone after-” 

Maryse swats Luke’s arm, “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. We were waiting until dessert.” 

“I see. Well, I’ll leave you both to it.” Magnus says, smirking.

Just as he’s about to leave, he turns around, “Oh, I guess now would also be a great time to mention that Alexander and I are together.” 

“Wh-”

“Have fun!” Magnus calls before leaving the room. He makes it back to the table and finds that no one is apparently aware of Luke and Maryse’s absence. Simon is rambling on about Star Wars while Izzy whispers something in Lydia’s ear that makes her giggle. Then his eyes meet Alec’s and he immediately feels guilty again. As soon as they make it back to the apartment building he’s going to apologize.

He sits back down next to Alec and Alec places his hand discreetly on Magnus’s lower back.

“Are you okay?” he whispers into Magnus’s ear.

Magnus decides that  this isn’t the time or place to discuss their sex life so he decides to change the subject, “I just caught your mom and Luke in the powder room.”

“What?” Alec asks at full volume. Everyone stops talking and turns towards them.

“Okay, what the hell is going on with you two?” Jace asks right as Luke and Maryse walk back in.

“Uh-nothing. We’re just um,” Alec takes a deep breath, “Magnus and I are dating.” 

“Finally!” Clary exclaims. “I’m so glad I don’t have to listen to either of you pine and complain anymore.” 

“Congratulations you two.” Luke says, and Magnus looks up at him. 

“Don’t you have an announcement of your own?” Magnus asks, realizing that he might be overstepping. Luke and Maryse smile at him, so Magnus thinks he made the right call. 

“Luke and I are also dating.” Maryse says.

“Again, Finally!” Clary exclaims. 

Everyone starts congratulating both of the couples and then dessert arrives. Magnus digs into his cheesecake and also sneaks a couple bites of Alec’s chocolate cake. Alec just smiles at him and then lifts his fork to give Magnus another bite. Magnus takes the fork into his mouth and tries really hard not to be affected by the way that Alec’s looking at him. 

“I ate way too much.” Jace says, patting his stomach. 

“Me too,” Izzy says “I think that Lydia and I are gonna head out.” 

Magnus can’t shake the feeling that there’s more between those two. They’re together all of the time, and he can see the way that they look at each other. Hopefully they’ll figure it out soon. 

“Us too.” Clary says, gesturing to Maia. 

Everyone decides that it’s a good time to part ways and they all agree to meet next week. After everyone is done hugging and exchanging goodbyes Alec ends up calling them an Uber rather than walking back. The car ride over is mostly silent and Magnus gets continuously more nervous as they approach the apartment. They make it inside the building and then into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors close Alec slams Magnus against the wall, kissing him like it’s breathing and Magnus allows himself to be momentarily distracted before softly placing his hand on Alec’s chest and pushing him away.

“Alec, stop.” Magnus says quietly. 

“Magnus, are you okay?” Alec asks, looking right into Magnus’s eyes, “You’ve been acting strange ever since we left.”

“I-I’m fine,” Magnus stutters, “I’m just sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” 

“For pushing you… at the restaurant. I wasn’t trying to pressure you into anything, I was just teasing and then you touched me in the powder room and-” 

“Magnus,” Alec says, moving his hands to cradle Magnus’s face,  “Did I make you uncomfortable? Did I mess up?” 

“No, no. I wanted you to, I just also wanted it to be your decision and I feel like my behavior at the restaurant made you feel like you had to give me something. You want to take this slow and I understand that. I shouldn’t have teased.” 

Magnus looks up, expecting to see hurt in Alec’s eyes, but instead he just finds two loving hazel orbs staring back at him. 

“Magnus, I touched you because I wanted to. Because you make me crazy and I  _ needed  _ to feel you. I told you that I wanted to take things slow because I have no clue what I’m doing. I want to do so much to you Magnus, I just want to build up to the main event. That doesn’t mean that I want to wait to do  _ everything.”  _ Magnus watches Alec’s eyes get dark again and he can’t help the way that it makes his whole body tingle with want. The elevator door dings and Magnus pulls Alec out by his jacket. 

“Inexperience is not a problem darling. I can certainly teach you a thing or two.” Magnus winks and Alec groans as he walks away. 

“You really have to stop teasing, Magnus.” Alec whines. 

“After that little stunt you pulled at the restaurant? I don’t think so dear.” Magnus shakily takes out his keys and tries to open the lock as quickly as possible. He feels Alec move towards him and soon his lips are on the side of Magnus’s neck and his hands are on his waist. After a few tries, Magnus finally gets the door open and they both head inside of his apartment. Unlike before, Alec takes his time. He moves towards Magnus and pulls him close by his hips. Magnus melts into the soft kiss that Alec plants on his lips before pulling away slightly. 

“Are you sure?” Magnus asks, needing one more confirmation before taking things any further. 

“Yes, Magnus. I’m sure.” Alec breaths out, clearly just as wrecked as Magnus is. 

Magnus pulls him close again and kisses him. It starts slow, but begins to get heated as their hands wander around each other. Somehow, Magnus ends up pushed against a wall and Alec is kissing his neck again. He bites down and Magnus moans at the thought that it’s going to leave a mark. They slowly undress each other, wanting to take their time. Once both of them are shirtless, Alec’s hands move tentatively down to Magnus’s waistband. 

“Can I?” Alec asks, looking into Magnus’s eyes. 

“ _ Please.”  _ Magnus practically breathes out, sounding much more wrecked than he had intended. 

Alec undoes Magnus’s pants and slips them down his legs. Magnus impatiently kicks them to the side before making quick works of Alec’s. Alec moves back to kiss Magnus and Magnus takes this opportunity to move his hand and palm Alec through his briefs. 

Alec lets out a low moan,  picks up Magnus and pushes him further into the wall, rubbing their erections together. Besides the fact that he can feel just how big Alec, he’s also incredibly turned on by how strong Alec is. Alec grinds further into Magnus and his movements begin to speed up. Magnus isn’t sure how long they stay like this, but eventually Alec moves and lays Magnus on the couch. He then moves his hand into Magnus’s briefs and takes him in hand.

“ _ Oh Alexander”  _ Magnus moans when Alec twists his wrist. Magnus moves his hand to touch Alec and soon they’re movements are matched. Breathing heavily, they both come from the others touch, painting Magnus’s chest. Alec lays down on top of Magnus, making a mess of his chest as well, and just stays there for a minute. 

After a while Alec climbs off of Magnus and Magnus whines. Alec reaches out is hand. 

“Shower?” Alec asks. 

“Shower.” Magnus responds. 

If they spent far too much time in the shower, they would never tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope that y'all liked the chapter! Let me know what you thought down in the comments :)
> 
> Also, feel free to follow my twitter @Malec_Forever__
> 
> Finally, thank you to ShadowGirl548 for proofreading everything and making sure that I'm not too dramatic all of the time lol.


	11. Cologne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Sorry it's been a minute since I last posted a chapter, but here's chapter 11! It's another one of my faves, so I hope y'all enjoy :)

The next two weeks go by far quicker than Alec had anticipated and now Magnus is back to working at the hospital. Of course, Alec is happy for Magnus, it’s just that Alec had gotten used to spending so much time with Magnus. Now that he’s back at the hospital, they haven’t seen each other in days and it’s making Alec quite frustrated. In those two weeks, they’ve explored a lot of different things, and even though Alec still feels a bit inexperienced, he knows that he’s ready to take the next step. Which would be great, except that Magnus is always at the hospital during the times that Alec isn’t at the school and vice versa. The most they’ve been able to do in the past week was have a quick lunch on Tuesday. 

Alec is loving his job at the school, but he’s having a really hard time focusing due to his lack of attention from Magnus. Midterms are coming up much faster than Alec would like to admit, but he just keeps putting them off in order to mope. 

“Alec? Alec! Are you even listening to me?” Izzy asks, clearly frustrated at her brother for daydreaming during their lunch. 

“I’m sorry, Iz. I’m just so distracted today.” Alec responds. 

“You’ve been distracted for the past week Alec. Not to mention you ask me to lunch almost everyday. Is everything alright between you and Magnus?” 

Alec sighs, there’s not point in lying when Izzy always sees straight through them.

“Everything’s fine. I just haven’t been able to see him barely at all this week and I miss him. And I’m… frustrated.” 

“You’re frustrated with Magnus?” Izzy asks, before having a realization, “Oh. That kind of frustrated. Have you talked to him about it?” 

“No. From the little that I’ve heard, his shifts at the hospital have been pretty stressful and I don’t want to add to that by telling him that I’m ready. It’ll just stress him out even more.”

“I understand. I still think that you should talk to him about it soon. I think it’ll make him happy, not more stressed. Plus, the sooner that you two talk about it, the sooner you’ll get to bone.” Izzy laughs but Alec just glares at her. 

“I’m gonna pretend like you didn’t just say that.” 

“Whatever. My point is that you have to actually talk to Magnus for him to know how you’re feeling. You can’t just assume that he’ll figure it out on his own.”

“Speaking of telling people how you feel,” Alec changes the subject, “have you talking to Lydia yet?”

Izzy groans, “You know I can’t do that Alec.”

“Why?”

“Because Lydia is my best friend. I can’t jeopardize that by telling her that I’m madly in love with her and have been for the past two years. I can’t lose her.” Izzy responds, sadly. 

“But what if she loves you back?”

“She doesn’t.”

“You don’t know that. I just want you to think  about it, Iz. She was there for you when everything went down with dad and when… Well you know. I think it’s worth a shot, and even if the feelings aren’t reciprocated, I don’t think that Lydia would ditch you.” 

“Look, can we just talk about something else? I don’t- Shit.” Izzy’s nose starts to bleed and she jumps up from the counter to grab some napkins. Once she comes back, Alec looks at her with a worried expression. 

“Izzy…”

“It’s nothing, okay? My nose has just been super dry and I think I’m starting to get a cold.” 

“That’s what you said last time.” Alec says bluntly.

“It’s not like that Alec. I promise. It’s just a nosebleed.”

Alec’s not sure if he believes Izzy, but he lets it go for now. A couple of years ago Izzy had a problem with cocaine. She even ended up in the hospital. Lydia was the one who found her in the bathroom and she stayed the whole three days that Izzy was recovering. Alec wants to believe that it’s not that again… but he needs to be careful. She’s a good liar. 

After they finish their lunch Izzy gets called back into work, leaving Alec alone again. He sits at the table for a few more minutes, pondering on their conversation about Magnus. He knows that he needs to talk to Magnus, but he’s just scared that Magnus might not actually want to have sex with him. Or even if he does, that Alec’s going to be really terrible at it. So far, he’s been picking things up really well, according to the way that Magnus responds to them, but it’s still scary for Alec. 

He decides that he needs to stop stressing about it for now and grade some papers. He heads back to his apartment and spends the rest of the afternoon grading. 

 

…

 

Magnus hasn’t had a day off since his break and even though this was the norm before, it seems like way too much now. He loves his job, but he also loves spending time with Alec, which he hasn’t been able to do because of the crazy hours he’s working. He knows that he’s been incredibly irritable and short with everyone, but he can’t help it. He really wants to fuck Alec. But he can’t do that until Alec is ready which is totally fine, except they haven’t been able to do anything in over a week and Magnus is getting increasingly more frustrated. 

That’s the reason why he marches right into Luke’s office and slams the door. 

“How dare you!” Magnus shouts at Luke, causing Luke to look up from his desk.

“What?” Luke responds, clearly confused. 

“First you force me to take a month off and now you have me working nonstop? How cruel can you get Garroway?”

Luke smirks, “So you enjoyed your time off? That’s good to know. You’re working the same hours that you did before your month off, so what’s the issue?”

“Nothing.” Magnus lies. 

“Look Magnus, everyone has noticed how on edge you’ve been for the past week.”

Magnus groans, “I’m not going to get into detail here, because you are basically his step father, but I’ve barely been able to see Alexander and I just need a day off. Or two.” 

“Ah, I see,” Luke responds, “How about this, you can go home right now since it’s been a slow day, but I’m gonna have to call you in if we need you. One of the temps has been doing a really great job, so I’ll move them to full time after this week and then you’ll get more days off to do whatever you want to- I mean, with Alec. Does that work?” Luke responds, clearly having planned this all out before Magnus even brought it up.  _ Cheeky bastard,  _ Magnus thinks. 

“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Magnus says right before running out the door. He knows that there’s a high chance that they’ll call him in later, but not for a couple of hours at least. It’s 9:00 PM and he needs to hurry to Alec’s before he falls asleep. 

Magnus practically runs back to the apartment building and quickly goes to his room to change out of his scrubs. He changes into his sexiest pair of underwear, topped with leather pants and a black cardigan with only the bottom button done. He adds a black velvet choker and put on black boots with a small heel. He touches up his eyeliner and adds some silver highlight to his cheekbones and collar bones. To finish it all off he sprays on his sandalwood cologne that he knows drives Alec crazy. He looks great. By the time he’s finished it’s almost ten. He silently prays that Alec hasn’t fallen asleep because even imagining doing something with Alec has him half hard already. 

He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down a bit, and then walks out into the hallway. Instead of just knocking like a normal person, Magnus gets so caught up in his excitement that he just opens the door, startling a very cute professor in the middle of grading paper. 

“Shit! Magnus you-” Alec stops mid sentence, his mouth wide open. 

“First of all, you need to learn to lock your door,” Magnus says, closing the door and slowly stepping towards Alec, “Second, why are you still on the couch when I look like this?” Magnus asks, arching a brow. 

Alec quickly stands up and kisses Magnus, “Fuck, Magnus. You look…” Alec trails off, tracing his fingers down Magnus’s bare chest. 

“Like a snack? A full course meal?” Magnus asks, stepping away from Alec a bit and smirking. 

“Like perfection.” Alec finally responds, walking up to Magnus and easily picking him up and attacking his mouth with harsh kisses. Magnus lets out a surprised squeak, wrapping his legs around Alec’s waist as Alec walks them to the kitchen. Alec sets Magnus on the kitchen counter and then pulls away, breathing heavy. 

“Look at you. All dressed up for me.” Alec says, his eyes burning into Magnus’s skin. Alec starts to move towards Magnus, but then suddenly stops. 

“Wait, why aren’t you at work?” Alec asks.

“I’ll explain later. Now get back over here pretty boy.”

When Alec doesn’t immediately go back to kissing Magnus, Magnus jumps off the counter. 

“Are you alright Angel? Have I done something wrong?” Magnus immediately asks, worried that he’s taken it too far again. 

“N-no. It’s just…” Alec starts.

“Please talk to me darling.”

“I want to have sex with you.” Alec blurts out and Magnus’s eyes widen before he starts laughing. 

“ _ Thank God.”  _ Magnus responds, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, “I want to have sex with you too. Thus the outfit.”

“You look so fucking good Magnus… I just don’t want to disappoint you.” 

“Alexander,’ Magnus cradles Alec’s cheek, “You could never disappoint me. Besides, you’ve been positively amazing at everything else we’ve done together and I don’t think sex is going to be any different.” 

“Okay…” Alec responds. 

There’s a moment of awkward silence before Alec finally speaks, “I don’t think I told you to get off the counter.”

Magnus smirks and backs up in order to hop back up on the counter. He opens his legs a bit and places his hands behind him on the counter. 

“Better?” Magnus asks.

“Much.” Alec responds. He walks up to Magnus and slides his hands up Magnus’s thighs before grabbing his ass and pulling him forward, wrapping his legs around Alec’s waist again. 

“You seriously have no idea how crazy you make me Magnus.” 

“I think I might.” Magnus responds before grinding against Alec and kissing the moan that escapes Alec’s lips. Alec moves his hands to undo the only button that’s done on Magnus’s cardigan and then he slides it down Magnus’s shoulders, touching every part of Magnus’s arms as he slides it off. Alec then moves to kiss Magnus’s neck.

“You smell so good, Magnus.” Alec whispers into his neck right before biting down on the soft flesh. 

“ _ Fuck.  _ Thank you darling, now stop teasing and just  _ touch  _ me already.”

Alec lets out a low laugh, making Magnus’s entire body tingle. 

“Shut up.” Alec responds. 

“Make me.” Magnus says, pulling away and looking right into Alec’s dark eyes. 

As soon as the words leave Magnus’s lips Alec palms the crotch of his leather pants, making Magnus moan. He then trails kisses down Magnus’s chest, slowly moving his hand back and forth. Once he reaches the waistband of Magnus’s pants with his mouth, he undoes the button and zipper with his teeth. 

“Are you fucking kidding me? What are you, some sort of sex God?” Magnus asks, looking down at his boyfriend with wide eyes. 

Alec just chuckles and attempts to slide Magnus’s tight pants down his legs. 

“God damn these tight pants.” Alec says before giving them one last tug and throwing them behind him. It’s this moment that he sees Magnus’s underwear and Magnus smirks at the groan that escapes Alec’s lips. Magnus is wearing a pair of soft, black briefs that have a lace like a corset in the front. There’s lace panels on the sides and their tight enough to leave very little to the imagination. 

“I’ll never get used to how gorgeous you are.” Alec practically breathes. There’s a mix of lust and something that Magnus doesn’t quite understand in his dark hazel eyes as he just stands and looks at Magnus for a minute. Magnus feels heat rush to his cheeks under the gaze of his boyfriend. 

“I’ll never get used to the fact that I get to call you mine.” Magnus whispers back, making Alec smile. Alec steps forward to start kissing Magnus again. Magnus unbuttons Alec’s shirt slowly, deciding that even if the hospital calls he wants to take his time with Alec. He doesn’t want to rush his first time. After he finishes with the buttons, he slides the shirt down Alec’s broad shoulders. He continues to undress Alec until they’re both left in just their underwear. They stop kissing for a breather and just rest their foreheads against one another, eyes closed. 

“I want you so bad, Alec.” Magnus says. 

“You have me.” Alec responds, picking Magnus up off of the counter and carrying him to the bedroom. He lays Magnus down gently on the bed and crawls between his legs. Magnus leans up to kiss Alec, but Alec pushes his chest back down. 

“Let me take care of you for once.” Alec says, softly. Magnus isn’t sure when exactly the whole endeavor became so soft and slow, but he certainly isn’t complaining. He’s willing to have Alec in any which way. 

Alec starts kissing down Magnus’s neck slowly, taking extra time on the spots that he knows drive Magnus crazy. He works Magnus until he’s squirming underneath his lips. Alec slides Magnus’s briefs down and licks a strip up Magnus. Magnus moans and goes to grab at Alec. Alec grabs Magnus’s hands and pins them down as he takes Magnus whole. 

“ _ Fuck.” _ Magnus exclaims as Alec continues to bob his head up and down. 

After a few minutes Magnus uses his leg to softly push Alec up. 

“I need you to stop so that this isn’t over before it’s even begun,” Magnus smiles at Alec, “How would you like to do this darling?” 

Magnus watches as Alec’s face turns bright red. It’s amazing how Alec can suck his dick like a pro and still blush at the idea of sex. Alec takes a deep breath and responds. 

“I want you to fuck me. Please.” 

“Gladly.” Magnus grabs Alec’s shoulders and flips him down to the bed, quickly crawling to straddle his hips. The idea of getting to take this man apart slowly, piece by piece, makes Magnus giddy in a way that he’s never been before. Of course, he’s had sex many times, but never has he cared for someone the way that he cares about Alec. Never has he wanted anyone as much as he wants Alec. Magnus reaches his hands down to take off Alec’s briefs before the inevitable, annoying ringtone of his work cell goes off in the kitchen. Magnus practically lets out a sob before hopping off of Alec and quickly heading to the kitchen to answer his phone. He picks it up and hits the green button. 

“Luke, I swear to God-” 

“I’m sorry, Magnus. But we need you. There was an accident at one of the buildings nearby and one of the patients is in critical condition. You’re the best we’ve got and he needs you.” Luke sounds terrified, and as frustrated as Magnus is, he needs to get there. Soon. 

“I’m on my way.” Magnus hangs up the phone and looks at Alec who’s now leaning against the bedroom door frame. Magnus sighs as his eyes trail Alec’s perfect body, silently wishing that for once he wasn’t a very important surgeon. He just wants to stay here and finish what they started, but he knows that they need him at the hospital. He takes one last look at Alec’s chest before speaking. 

“Alec-”

“Don’t worry about it. They need you. Go.”

“Thank you my darling,” Magnus says, stepping forward and caressing Alec’s cheek and giving him a soft peck on the lips before grabbing his clothes from the kitchen floor and heading into the bedroom to get dressed. Once he’s got his clothes back on, the buttons of his sweater done up much more than when he first got there, he turns towards the door. 

“Promise me you’ll call as soon as your shift is over. I want to know that you’re alright.” Alec says sweetly, and Magnus’s heart melts all over again. 

“I promise.” They kiss goodbye and soon Magnus is basically sprinting to get to the hospital. He knows that there will be clean scrubs waiting for him once he gets there, so he didn’t stop by his apartment to change. He just hopes that he can make it to the hospital on time, for the patient’s sake. 

He finally makes it through the doors and into the emergency room, immediately heading for the back office where he knows that Luke will be waiting to fill him in with some of the doctors who will be aiding him on the surgery. 

He bursts through the office doors, panting. 

“Nobody say a word,” Magnus says, noticing all of the wide eyes taking in his outfit, “Just tell me what happened and what I need to prepare for.”

“Magnus, thank you so much for getting here quickly.” Luke says, seriously. 

Then, it’s a rundown of what happened at the accident. A roof caved in on a nearby abandoned building which turned out to not be abandoned. Multiple people were injured, thus why they needed Magnus to do the surgery on the patient in critical condition, but most of them were going to make it. Then there’s a blur of medical terminology and explanations of the injuries the patient has. There’s damage to the patient’s spine, a herniated disk, multiple broken bones, and heavy internal bleeding. After they update Magnus, not even bothering to tell him the patient’s name, Luke hands him a pair of clean scrubs and he quickly changes in the bathroom. 

It takes a few more minutes for them to prep the patient for surgery, but once they’re done Magnus walks in and a temp slides gloves over his hands. Luckily, Catarina is there to help with the beginning of the surgery before she has to head back into the ER and tend to more of the patients. He turns towards the patient, hands lifted to avoid touching any contaminants, and that’s when he sees the patient’s face. 

“Sebastian.” Magnus says subconsciously. 

“What?” Catarina asks, not fully believing her ears. 

“That’s Sebastian.” 

“Magnus you can’t-” 

“Stop. I need to do this. I’m the only one who can right now.”

“But-”

“ _ Now  _ Catarina. He’s counting on us.” 

Magnus moves forward and starts the first surgery, completely ignoring the way that it still hurts to see this man in so much pain. It’s going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you thought in the comments! I love to hear from y'all :)
> 
> Shout out to ShadowGirl548 for being the best beta :)
> 
> Follow me on twitter if you'd like! @Malec_Forever__


	12. Go to Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Can y'all believe that new trailer tho? Iris better get her hands off of Magnus or I'mma fight someone.
> 
> Anywayyysss, here's a new chapter! It's a bit of a filler, but I hope you still like it! :)

“Your midterm is this Wednesday. I know that most of you will wait until the very last minute to study. If you choose to do so, don’t blame me if you fuck up and fail my class,” Alec faintly registers how harsh he’s being on his students, but he can’t help it right now, “I’ll see you on Wednesday.” 

Alec quickly gathers his belongings and heads straight for the doors, ignoring the questioning looks from his students. Normally, he was a kind professor who would never dare to get angry without reason, let alone say “fuck” in front of an entire class. But today was different. Magnus hasn’t called him since he left Alec’s apartment two days ago on Saturday. Alec had tried to visit the hospital on Sunday night, but he was met with apologies from Luke and a promise to have Magnus call him as soon as he could. It’s been almost 24 hours since then and Alec has still heard nothing. He’s not angry with Magnus, he’s just worried. From the way that Magnus had sounded when he picked up the phone on Saturday, whatever needed his attention was very serious. Magnus had previously opened up about the fact that he loved his job but he’s never gotten used to the pain of losing a patient. Alec hopes that the patient is okay. That Magnus is okay. 

Alec heads into his office to try and distract himself with work, attempting not to check his phone every few seconds to see if there’s any news from Magnus. Alec is looking over his midterms, making sure that all of the questions make sense and that there are no typos when he hears his phone buzz on his desk and immediately picks it up to answer, not bothering to check the caller ID. 

“Magnus?” Alec asks, sounding a bit psychotic.

“Uh, no. It’s Jace. You know, your brother who you never talk to now that you’ve been to busy sucking-” 

“Please don’t finish that sentence.” Alec sighs. “What the hell do you want?”

“Jesus, I didn’t realize that hearing from your brother was such a bad things these days.” Jace says, sounding genuinely hurt my Alec’s harsh words.

Alec sighs again. “Fuck, I’m sorry Jace. I’ve just been waiting for Magnus to call me from the hospital for two days and I’m just… I’m worried about him.”

“Shit dude. I’m sorry. I was just calling to check in with you, I haven’t seen you in a while and I missed you. But I can call back later.” 

“No, no it’s okay. I could use the distraction. Just know that I might randomly hang up on you if Magus calls.” 

“Understood,” Jace replies, “You really like him, don’t you?” 

“I do.”

“I’m really happy for you buddy. I like who you are with Magnus, even if it means that you don’t give me enough attention.” 

Alec chuckles, “You always have needed constant attention from everyone. But how are you? Any new ladies hanging around?”

“About that…” Jace starts, “I’ve been seeing someone.” 

“You always did like to play the field. Who?” 

Jace pauses, “Simon.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Alec says deadpan, but after a minute of Jace responding it hits him, “Wait, you’re serious? Simon??”

“He’s actually really nice… and I guess I’m also not straight, which is weird.”  

“I’m happy for you Jace.”

“Really?” Jace sounds hopeful.

As much as Alec might not understand what exactly Jace sees in the brown haired boy who doesn’t ever stop talking, he meant it. He likes seeing Jace happy, and he sounds happy. 

“Really. It’s kind of funny actually, the fact that the most homophobic asshole on the planet raised three queer children.” 

Jace laughs over the line, “Ain’t that the truth. I’ll let you get back to waiting for Magnus, I just wanted to tell you before Izzy did. She caught us on the couch the other day, because she refuses to ever knock, so I wanted to call you.”

“It’s your fault for refusing to ever lock your door, but I’m glad you called.”

“See ya, Alec. I hope everything is okay with Magnus.”

“Yeah, me too,” Alec sighs, “I’ll talk to you later Jace.”

“Sure you will.” Jace jokes before hanging up. 

Jace not being straight wasn’t a huge surprise, given the way that he talks about men sometimes, but Alec certainly wasn’t expecting him to be with Simon. 

He looks at the time, 7:00 PM. He sighs before going back to work. Ever since Magnus left on Saturday, his apartment has felt cold and empty. He’d been spending a lot of time in his office ever since Magnus went back to work, but he even slept here on the couch last night because he couldn’t bear to go back to an empty bed and worry even more about Magnus. 

He goes back to looking through the midterms when his office door swings open. He doesn’t bother to look up, knowing that it’s probably a student who’s freaking out about the midterm. 

“My office hours are-” He looks up and realizes that it’s not a student standing in the doorway. It’s an exhausted, sad looking Magnus with disheveled hair and bright blue scrubs. 

“Alexander. I missed you.”

 

…

 

Magnus had been in performing surgery on Sebastian for over twenty hours, taking only one break to eat a quick snack and get a drink to keep his blood sugar and hydration levels normal. After that, Sebastian was in stable condition but was being heavily monitored by one of the temps. Magnus changed out of his bloody scrubs and decided to take a quick nap before calling Alec, knowing that the man was probably worried sick. His small nap turned into three hours, and he was abruptly awaken by Catarina shaking him and saying that Sebastian was going into cardiac arrest due to stress on his heart from his multiple injuries. This caused Magnus to be in surgery for another ten hours before he could confidently say that Sebastian was going to be okay. 

He throws his gloves into the trash outside of the room before they transfer Sebastian into one of the inpatient rooms. He takes a deep breath and slides his mask off of his face and lets it hang around his neck. He feels a soft hand on his shoulder and turns to look into Catarina’s dark brown eyes. 

“You okay love?” Catarina asks, worry crinkling around her eyes. 

“Honestly? No. I just had to perform intense surgery on my ex-boyfriend who also happens to be the reason why my step father disowned me in high school. Not to mention he’s now married to my ex-girlfriend. But I did it. And he’s okay.” 

“Oh, Magnus. I’m so sorry. But you’re right, he is okay. You could have let him die, let the hurt that he’s caused you get in the way of your job. But you didn't. And that shows you’re a better man than he will ever be. I’m proud of you, Magnus.”

“Thank you Cat, I love you. I would give you a hug right now if I wasn’t still covered in my ex-boyfriends blood.”

“Yeah, no thanks. Go change.” 

“Will do.”

“Oh, and Magnus?” Catarina asks. 

“Yeah?” 

“Call your boyfriend.” 

Magnus smiles at Catarina before heading in the back room taking a very quick shower and changing into another spare pair of scrubs. His clothes from a couple of days ago were the last thing that he wanted right now, and scrubs were much more comfortable. He gets his phone out of his locker and curses when he realizes that it’s completely dead. He pockets it, grabs his keys and wallet and heads out to the main hospital area. When he reaches the lobby, he sees two familiar faces waiting for him, Camille and Clary.  

Camille jumps up first and starts bombarding him with questions. 

“Where’s my husband? Is he alright? Why has it taken this long for you to get out of surgery?”

“Camille,” Magnus says, placing his hands on her shoulders, “Calm down. He’s going to be alright. It’s going to take a long time for him to fully recover, but you still have a husband. It’ll still be a few more hours before they allow any visitors and I suggest that you head home and get some rest. They’ll call you as soon as you can see him.”

“That idiot,” she spits out, reminding Magnus that she’s still the same Camille she’s always been, “I told him not to keep holding secret meetings in that building.” 

“Right.” 

“Well, now that I know he’s alright, I suppose I’ll go home and take a long bath,” Camille pauses, smirking, “Would you like to join me?”

_ Subtle.  _

“Go to hell Camille.” Magnus responds before walking towards Clary who has been patiently waiting for him to finish his conversation with Camille. Of course she would try and make a pass at him when her god damn husband was lying in a hospital bed. They really were perfectly matched. 

“Biscuit, I didn’t expect to see you here.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me that he was back? Izzy says that you saw him weeks ago at a party and you didn’t bother to warn me?” Clary looks angry, but Magnus can tell that there’s hurt behind her words. Betrayal. 

“Clary, I’m so sorry. I had intended to tell you, but then every time that I thought I had built up the courage to do so, I thought about how much it was going to hurt you. I know that you stopped talking to him long before you and I ever met and I didn’t want to reopen all of those wounds. He hurt both of us so much and I just didn’t want to cause you anymore pain. I’m sorry.”

“That was a bad call Magnus. It hurts so much more to find out that your estranged brother is practically dead in the hospital right around the corner from your apartment. You should have told me.” Clary’s eyes are puffy from crying, and Magnus’s heart breaks for her. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“He’s going to be okay. His injuries are very severe, but I did my job.” 

Clary’s eyes soften and she wraps Magnus in a hug, “That must have been really painful for you. Having to save his life after all of the things that he did to you.” 

“It was.” Magnus says, pulling away from the hug.

“I’m still mad at you, but you need to go find Alec. He’s been worried sick.” 

“Did you know that Alec dated him in college? And that he went by Jonathan?”

“Alec dated my brother? That’s the Jonathan that they’re always talking about?” Clary responds, dumbfounded. 

“I guess that answers my question.” 

“I honestly had no idea. I was a couple of years behind Alec and that was before we met. I didn’t even know that Jonathan had gone to the same college as me.” 

“So Jonathan is his real name? Why did he go by Sebastian in high school?” Magnus asks, genuinely wondering why Jonathan was switching names all of the time. 

“I don’t know, but if it has anything to do with my dad, then I’m sure he’s got a pretty good reason.” 

“Oh.” Clary didn’t talk about her dad very much, but from what she had told Magnus, he wasn’t a good guy. 

“Now, go,” Clary gestures towards the door, “Alec is waiting for you and I want to go see my girlfriend.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

Magnus kisses Clary on the cheek before practically sprinting out the doors. It’s a very cold night, but he forgot his sweater and has spent far too much time away from Alec already. He makes it back to the apartment building and rushes to knock on Alec’s door before realizing that Izzy is standing in the hallway.  

“He’s not here.” Izzy sighs, turning towards Magnus. He notices that she’s carrying a takeout bag from Taki’s, Alec’s favorite. “Why haven’t you called him?”

“Because I couldn’t.” Magnus responds, returning Izzy’s sigh, “I was in surgery for the better part of two days and I forgot to plug in my phone. Do you know where I might be able to find him?”

Magnus’s heart continues to hurt more and more with every minute that passes. He let Alec worry for two days and feels helplessly guilty. All he wants is to be in his boyfriend’s arms again. 

“He’s probably in his office at the school. You should meet him there, he’s been worried about you.” Izzy replies. She’s not guilt tripping him, but he can hear the hurt behind her words. 

“That’s what I plan to do.Would you like to accompany me?”

“No, that’s alright. But you should take this food with you. There’s plenty for the both of you.”

“Are you sure?” Magnus asks, attempting to ignore the way that his stomach grumbles at even the mention of food. 

“Yeah,” Izzy shrugs, “I only got Taki’s because I know that Alec loves it.”

“Alright,” Magnus takes the bag out of Isabelle’s outstretched arm, “Thank you Isabelle.”

“No problem,” Izzy hugs Magnus, “Now go find Alec.”

Izzy walks down the hallway and towards the elevator. Magnus can tell that something’s wrong and that it has nothing to do with Alec. 

“Isabelle?” Magnus calls out right before she steps into the elevator.

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” She says before disappearing into the elevator.

Magnus thinks about trying to catch her, but he doesn’t think he’ll be able to make it down to the lobby in time. He makes a mental note to talk to Alec about it and then decides to quickly plug in his phone before heading to the school. He’s already dreading going through all of the missed notifications, but right now his focus is getting to his Alexander. 

He plugs his phone in, heads down the hallway and hops into the elevator. Magnus isn’t exactly sure where Alec’s office is, but he knows that it’s in the East Hall, so hopefully there’s an office that he can visit to get the exact room number. It takes him around ten minutes to make it to the building and once he reaches the front office he’s very out of breath. 

Luckily, there’s still a receptionist at the desk. A very bored-looking receptionist, but it’s still better than nothing. She has very blonde, almost white, hair with a name tag that reads “Gretel.” Magnus tries his best to catch his breath and muster up all of his charm before walking up to the desk.

“Hello.” Magnus says, smiling brightly. The girl just sighs, momentarily looking up from her phone. 

“What can I do for you?”

“I was just wondering if you could tell me where Professor Lightwood’s office is.” 

“Room 208. Second floor. If you take the stairs right over there you turn right once you reach the second floor and it’s the first door on the left. Anything else?”

“That’s all, thank you.” Magnus starts to walk away and then the girl calls after him. 

“Tell him to maybe lay off on his Art History 2 class.” 

Magnus chuckles and just waves a hand to signal that he heard her. He then turns into the stairwell and walks to the second floor. He takes a right and then sees the door. Room 208. He’s weirdly nervous and can’t help but assume that Alec is just going to yell at him to get out. He takes a deep breath and swings the door open. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me a comment and tell what you thought!
> 
> Thanks to ShadowGirl548, as always <3


	13. It's All Wrong, But It's Alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took a bit longer than usual! There is some angst in this chapter, but I promise we'll get back to the fluff soon <3

"My office hours are-”

Magnus watches Alec’s eyes turn from anger to surprise. He probably thought that Magnus was one of the students who he freaked out on during class today. Alec looks tired, stressed. His hair is a mess, well more than usual, probably from running his hands through it. Magnus notices the deep bags under his eyes, but he still thinks that Alec is the most beautiful creature to ever walk this earth. 

“Alexander, I missed you.” 

Alec gets up from his desk chair and Magnus can’t read the look on his face. For a minute, Magnus thinks that he’s just going to walk out but then Alec rests his hands on Magnus’s cheeks and pulls him in for a soft kiss. 

“I missed you too, Magnus.” 

“I brought dinner,” Magnus says, holding up the Taki’s bag, “Courtesy of Izzy. I ran into her when I stopped by your apartment.”

“You stopped by the apartment? I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I was just trying to distract myself from…” Alec trails off, not wanting to hurt Magnus.

“To distract yourself from the fact that we almost had sex and then I didn’t call you for two days.” Magnus sighs. 

“Magnus I-”

“No Alexander, I need to apologize and explain myself. I completed the surgery on the first day and had intended to call you after a quick nap, but then the patient had more complications and I had to go back in. By the time that I got out of the second round of surgery two days had passed and my phone was dead. I’m so sorry darling.”

Magnus rests his hand on Alec’s cheek, and Alec nuzzles his face into it. 

“It’s alright Magnus, I was just worried about you. Is the patient okay?”

Magnus feels the tears welling in his eyes before he fully understands what’s going on. By the time he figures it out, the tears are falling down his cheeks and Alec rests his hands on Magnus’s shoulders, a worried look on his face. 

“Magnus, what’s wrong? Did you lose the patient?”

“N-no,” Magnus siffles, trying to recompose himself. He has no reason to cry over the situation. “The patient was Sebastian.”

Alec pauses, not sure what to say, and then wraps Magnus in his arms. 

“Magnus, I’m so sorry. That must have been so hard for you.”

“It was.” Magnus says, pulling away and moving to sit on the couch against the wall of Alec’s office. 

“Here,” Alec says, reaching for the food and taking everything out, “We can eat and you can talk to me about it. If you want.” 

Alec sets up a little feast on the floor and pats the spot next to him, beckoning Magnus to come eat with him. 

“Okay.” Magnus agrees before joining Alec on the floor. He snuggles into Alec’s shoulder, not really caring if the position will make it harder for them to eat. 

They eat in silence for a bit before Magnus finally speaks. When he finally decides that delaying it won’t stop the inevitable, he talks.

“Sebastian was my first boyfriend. He was my first serious relationship with a man. I was seventeen at the time and my mother had taken her own life the year before, so I wasn’t in a good place. I was living with my horrendous step father and then Sebastian walked into my life and made me feel special. I wasn’t out yet, but he told me that it was okay. That I could take all of the time that I needed. But then,” Magnus pauses, he hasn’t talked about this in years, “after a month of dating he got really controlling and pushy, just like Camille. He wouldn’t let me talk to any of my other friends, not that I really had any, and he completely changed his mind about my coming out. After we had sex, he calmed down for a bit, but then he gave me an ultimatum. I could either come out or he would break up with me. I tried to explain to him that I wasn’t ready, that I loved him I just wasn’t sure how my step father would react. He wouldn’t listen to me and ended up breaking up with me. I was heartbroken. Another person that I loved left me and I was stuck with nothing. After a few weeks, he started to mess with me in the halls. Nothing big, just pushing me around and small comments that no one else could hear. It hurt, but I also thought that he was just doing it because I hurt him. I was wrong. One day, I was walking to my locker and once I got there, a small group of students were huddled around it.” 

 

***Flashback***

As soon as Magnus walks up to the group, they all go silent. He pushes past a couple of girls to get to his locker, and once he makes it through the small crowd his stomach drops. His locker is decorated with pictures. Pictures of him with Sebastian kissing, holding hands, and even after they had just had sex. Magnus turns and sees that Sebastian is standing right by his locker, smirking at him. 

“Hey there Mags, nice of you to finally show up. Like the little mural I made for you? I figured that everyone deserves to know who you really are.” 

Magnus tries to speak, but there’s a lump in his throat and he can’t find the words.  _ This can’t be happening,  _ Magnus thinks,  _ this has to be a nightmare.  _ But it’s not a nightmare and as much as Magnus tries to make it all go away, Sebastian is still standing there, smiling a wicked smile. 

“Awe, what’s the matter babe? Did you actually think that I loved you? I could never love someone like you.”  _ It’s not true, he’s just upset,  _ Magnus tries to convince himself, but Sebastian keeps talking and each word feels like a pierce to his heart.  __

“You’re unlovable Magnus. No one is ever going to see anything in you. Hell, not even your mother saw enough in you to stick around.” 

Something in Magnus snaps, and he sees red. When he comes to, Sebastian is on the ground clutching his face. Magnus looks down at his shaky hand and sees blood and a bruise beginning to form on his knuckles. His ears are still ringing, but he feels a strong hand on his shoulder. The hand whips him around and snaps him fully back into reality. 

“Magnus! Principal Herondale’s office, now!” The woman yells at him, dragging his arm with her. He turns around and finds Sebastian still smirking at him, even as blood drips down his face. 

Once they make it to the principal's office, he sits on the chair by the office door and waits. Pretty soon, Sebastian is led in by the nurse and beckons them both into Ms. Herondale’s office. Ms. Herondale, is waiting for them, a stern look on her face. 

“I’ve called both your parents. They should be here any minute.”

Magnus’s stomach drops even further as he imagines having to explain the situation to his step father. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Magnus hears the door swing open and knows that it’s his step father. 

“What the hell happened?” He grumbles, clearly pissed that he got called out of work because his step son punched another kid in the face. Magnus tunes everything around him out, vaguely noticing that another man has walked into the office. After the man takes a seat, Magnus acknowledges that Ms. Herondale is probably explaining the situation, explaining the pictures. He tries to think of a way to deny it, to diffuse the situation with his step dad, but it’s too late. 

“I have decided to suspend them both for the rest of this week. Once they get back, they will both be required to do two weeks of detention and will not be allowed at any school functions except graduation. Understood?” 

All three men nod and leave the office. Magnus has no idea what was said during the meeting, but his step father doesn’t say a word until they’re in the car. 

“Pack your things tonight. I want you gone by morning.” 

“What?” Magnus asks, not exactly sure what’s going on. 

“I said pack your things. I won’t have a fag living in my house.”

And that was it. Magnus had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. Whatever had been left of his broken life was gone now. They didn’t say anything else, and once they got home Magnus packed what he could in trash bags and took his mother’s car, never turning back. 

 

***End of Flashback*** 

“I had a bit of money saved up so I stayed in a shitty motel while I tried to find a job and finish school. I eventually got a job as a cashier and found a cheap apartment. I finished school and ended with a full ride scholarship to NYU. Sebastian never came back after our suspension. It took me years to come to terms with my sexuality after that, never trusting that anyone actually believed my sexuality. I tried to drown everything out with sex, drugs and school. I don’t know where I would be if I hadn’t met Catarina and Ragnor. Sebastian made me feel used, and I will never understand why he did that. And now he’s laying in a hospital bed because I saved him. I had to save someone who has done such horrible things, but seeing him on that table brought me right back to when I was seventeen. I trusted him, and he betrayed me.”

Magnus hadn’t realized that Alec moved to wrap his arms fully around Magnus sometime during his story. After he finishes, he hears Alec let out a soft sigh and Magnus feels the tears on his neck. Alec pulls away, hazel eyes glistening and looking right into Magnus’s.

“Magnus, I am so sorry that all of those things happened to you. You didn’t deserve any of it. You were a scared seventeen year old boy and he used your weaknesses against you. He made you think that he loved you when he just wanted to hurt you…” Alec pauses, “You’re a much better man than I will ever be.” 

Magnus laughs bitterly, “How?”

“I would have let him die.”

“Alexander-”

“I mean it Magnus. You were just a kid. And I hate him for the way that he treated you. I know that it sounds bitter and harsh, but he didn’t deserve that. You could have slipped up, let him die on that table, but you didn't. You saved his life even after he tore yours apart. You’re an amazing man, Magnus.” 

Magnus kisses Alec softly, not really sure how to convey his feelings through words. 

“Thank you, Alexander.”

“Thank you for telling me.” 

They eat a bit more food, not caring that it had gone cold a while ago. The silence is heavy, but Magnus needs a minute before he can say anything else. 

After a while, he finally decides to ask, “What happened between the two of you If you don’t mind me asking?” 

Alec sets down his fork and wipes his mouth with a napkin. 

“Not a lot,” Alec admits, “Nothing like what happened between the two of you. We met during my freshman year of college when he was a senior. It was only a few months after I had come out and I had never even kissed a guy. But one day he noticed me in the library and asked if I wanted to get coffee. I wasn’t really that into him, but I figured there was no harm in trying. After a few dates, I started to really like him. He was my first kiss with a guy and that scared the shit out of me, but I tried to look past it and just enjoy being with him. Eventually, he wanted me to do more. I told him that I wasn’t ready, but one night he tried to take things further. I pushed him off of me before anything happened and I left his apartment. He tried to call me a few times after that, even stopped by my dorm, but I never talked to him again. Well, not until the party.”

“I’m sorry that he made you feel like you had to do those things for him.” Magnus responds, feeling guilty again.

“It’s alright. It took me a little while to trust anyone, and I went on a couple of dates with a few guys, but I eventually gave up once I moved to California. And then I met you.” 

Manus’s feels Alec’s warm hand against his cheek and it’s his turn to snuggle into it. He wants to give in, to just envelop Alec with affection, but he has to get something off of his chest first. 

“Alexander, I want you to know that I never want you to feel like you have to have sex with me for me to stay.” 

“Magnus-” 

“Just let me finish. I never want to make you feel the way that he did. I want you to feel comfortable and I want you to want this because of you. Not because of me.” 

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Now can I talk?” Alec asks, eyes soft and caring. 

“Of course, darling.” Magnus says, getting slightly lost in the two hazel eyes that feel like they’re staring into his soul.

“You have never made me feel like he did. Everything that we’ve done, that we’re going to do, is because I want it. Because I want you.” Alec kisses Magnus on the forehead and Magnus smiles up at him. 

“I want you too.” 

“Good, that’s all that matters.” 

They move up to the couch and Magnus listens while Alec updates him on what happened during the two days that Magnus was at the hospital. Magnus doesn’t remember when exactly they both dozed off, but he wakes up the next morning to Alec’s office door swinging open.  

 

…

 

Alec wakes up with a back ache and a heavy weight on his chest. He hasn’t fully come to yet, but he’s awake enough to know that the weight is Magnus laying on top of him. As much as his back hurts and the position is uncomfortable, he can’t bring himself to move. He blinks his eyes open and looks at his sleeping boyfriend. His hair is sticking every which way and his lips are pursed a bit, making an adorable pout. His shirt is scrunched a bit and Alec can’t help the way that the little exposed stretch of skin showing makes his mouth go dry. He starts to think about where they left things the other night and he can feel his morning wood growing a bit larger imagining what might have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted. 

Just as he’s about to actually get up and wake Magnus so that he can take him right on his office desk, he hears the door. His eyes snap back open and he turns his head to find a surprised Helen and Aline, two of his students from Art History 2. He’s silently cursing himself for not remembering to lock the door when he feels Magnus stir on top of him. He watches Magnus lift his head and then freeze when he sees the two girls standing in the doorway. 

“Uh s-sorry professor Lightwood. We were just stopping by to see if you could answer a couple of questions about the midterm tomorrow.”

Alec tries his best to think about everything except Magnus, and then we he decides it’s safe, Magnus moves off of him and they stand up. They awkwardly try to fix their disheveled appearances and Alec watches as Helen tries to hide a snicker and Aline looks positively mortified. 

“Right. Is it okay if we meet out in the hallway in just a second?”

“Of course.” Aline replies, pulling a much too amused Helen behind her. The door latches and Magnus and Alec look at each other. Magnus smirks and they end up laughing until tears are streaming down their faces. 

“Did you see that poor girls face?” Magnus asks in between sobs, “I think we’ve scarred her for life”

“Whew, poor girl. That’s Aline, she’s one of the best students in my class. I should probably get out there before she has a full fledged panic attack.”

“Alright darling, I’ll wait here for you.” Magnus kisses Alec’s cheek and then Alec excuses himself from his office. He overhears the tail end of the the two girls conversation. 

“Babe, I’m sure it’s fine.” Helen is rubbing Aline’s shoulder and Alec watches as she giver her a soft kiss. 

“Ahem.” Alec clears his throat and watched Aline’s head snap away from Helen. 

“Professor Lightwood! I’m so sorry. I should have knocked but I figured since you said you might be in today if we had questions that it would be fine and-” 

“Aline, it’s alright. That situation was entirely my fault. I apologize.” Alec says, awkwardly rubbing his neck. There’s a second of silence before he sees Helen smile. 

“Who’s that?”

“Helen!” Aline smacks her arm, “I’m so sorry about that Professor.”

“No, it’s okay,” Alec smiles, turning towards Helen, “That’s my boyfriend, Magnus. I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell anyone in class. I don’t want everyone chatting about my love life while I’m trying to teach. Now, what are your questions?”

Alec spends a few minutes with them, clearing up some information. He already knows that they will both do fine on the midterm, but he answers all of their questions anyway. After they’re all set, Alec bids them farewell. As he’s walking away, he hears Helen whisper something in Aline’s ear. 

“I might like girls, but even I have to admit that their hot together.” Aline laughs and they walk away hand in hand. Alec smiles as he heads back towards his office. He’s thinking about how cute they are together when he walks into his office to find Magnus leaning over his desk looking through some of his grading. He swallows as he gets a view of  Magnus’s amazing ass right before he turns to look at Alec, holding a paper from one of his freshman classes. 

“I thought that students were supposed to get better at writing before they go to college.” Magnus tosses the paper back on the desk and looks up at Alec. “How was it? As awkward as I imagine?”

“Actually no. They’re two of my best students and I think Helen just thought it was funny.” 

“That’s good, darling.” Magnus says absentmindedly, scanning some of the trinkets on Alec’s desk. Alec clicks the lock behind him. 

Magnus looks up at him, raising an eyebrow. 

“Alexander?”

“I want you, Magnus. Now.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed that cliff hanger ;) 
> 
> Thank you to my beta ShadowGirl548. Go check out her stuff! It's lovely :)
> 
> Let me know what you thought in the comments!!


	14. The Last One to Touch Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Hopefully it lives up to your expectations :3
> 
> Warning: This chapter is just smut.

“I want you, Magnus. Now.” Alec says, moving closer to Magnus with hungry eyes. Magnus can’t help the way that his mouth goes dry, seeing Alec with so much want in his eyes does things to Magnus. 

“W-what?” Magnus finally manages to squeak out while Alec pushes him into the desk, resting his hands on his hips. 

“I want you. On this desk. Now.” Alec says, boldly. Magnus has no clue where the stuttering anxious boy had gone because the man in front of him had too much confidence for his own good. 

“We should-” Magnus starts, before Alec cuts him off with a searing kiss. It’s hungry and passionate and full of want. 

“I don’t want to hear the whole spiel about how I shouldn’t lose my virginity in an office and that we should do it ‘properly.’ I want it anywhere, as long as it’s with you. And right now, this office seems like as good a place as any.” Alec says right after kissing Magnus senseless.

“But do you have anything here?” Magnus says, still a bit breathless. He honestly doesn’t care if they do it in Alec’s office. He just wants Alec to be comfortable. 

“Top drawer on the right.” Alec says before grabbing Magnus’s thighs and quickly lifting him up to sit on the desk. As always, Alec’s strength is incredibly hot and Magnus can’t wait any longer either. They’ve been waiting for so long and they got so close before that he doesn’t think anything could stop them at this point. They  _ needed  _ each other. 

“Well then,  _ Professor Lightwood,”  _ Magnus smirks as Alec groans, “Where were we?”

“ _ Magnus,  _ you drive me crazy.” 

“I try.” Magnus smirks before kissing Alec again, pulling his hips so that they rest in between Magnus’s legs. He wraps his legs around Alec’s middle and deepens the kiss, using the position to grind against Alec, giving them both the slight friction that they crave. Alec moans, and Magnus faintly registers as some of the papers fall off of Alec’s desk. He really couldn’t care less, they can clean it all up later. After. He feels Alec’s hands go under his shirt, touching the bare skin of his back and making him shiver. Alec smiles into the kiss, clearly knowing exactly what he’s doing to Magnus. 

Alec lifts Magnus’s shirt over his head and steps back just to look and run his hands against Magnus’s chest. 

“You’re perfect.” Alec whispers before moving to kiss Magnus’s chest. Magnus throws his head back as he feels the wet kisses moving all over and moans when Alec bites his collar bone. Alec knows all of Magnus’s spots, and Magnus wouldn’t have it any other way. Alec’s mouth moves lower and Magnus feels fingers hook his waistband. Before Alec can take off Magnus’s pants, he has a realization. 

“Wait, why do you have supplies in your office?” 

Alec chuckles, practically on his knees in front of Magnus. “Because I couldn’t stop thinking about fucking you. I figured if I had more supplies in various places we would be able to fuck sooner. Now, can we get back to what’s important here? I’m literally about to suck your dick.” 

Magnus feels his face go bright red at Alec’s words. He opens and closes his mouth a couple of times to respond, but he can’t think of anything particularly witty to say.

“May I continue?” Alec asks, looking into Magnus’s eyes. 

“Yes please.” Magnus practically breathes. 

Alec smirks and then lifts Magnus’s thighs and rips off his scrubs and boxers all in one go.  _ Holy shit,  _ Magnus thinks,  _ that was so hot.  _ Magnus can’t think for too long because he feels Alec’s mouth on him, not tentative or questioning like the first time he’d done this, but confident and hitting all of the right places. Magnus knows that he’s shaking, stuttering, and moaning words that don’t make any sense, but he can’t help it. Alec is perfect and everything that he’s doing is perfect. He could come apart just from this, but he has so much that he wants to do to Alec and he hasn’t even been able to touch Alec since they started kissing. He runs his hands through Alec’s hair, getting ready to tell Alec to stop before Alec pulls off of him. 

“How’d you get to be so good at that?” Magnus asks, slightly frustrated at the loss of Alec’s mouth. 

“I had a pretty good teacher.” Alec smirks, swiftly standing and picking Magnus up again. He moves towards the couch that they slept on the night before and lays Magnus down, straddling his hips. Magnus’s hands trail up Alec’s sides, moving to the front to work on the buttons. Magnus is still shaking, and he can tell that Alec is as well, making the task of unbuttoning Alec’s shirt difficult and frustrating. Eventually, with a groan, Magnus just takes the shirt and rips it down the middle, buttons flying all over the floor. Alec pulls away, eyes wide at Magnus.  

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” Alec says, grinding his hips against Magnus, making Magnus moan loudly before Magnus raises a hand to his mouth. 

“Do you have neighbors?” Magnus asks, slightly horrified.

“Yeah, but I happen to know that both are out today.” 

“Thank god.” Magnus says before taking Alec’s mouth again. Alec slides the completely ruined shirt off his shoulders as Magnus works on his belt. Once Magnus gets that off, he undoes the button and zipper before palming Alec through his jeans. Magnus is still surprised at just how big Alec is, no matter how many times they do sexy things. Alec stands up, kicking of his jeans and boxers. 

“I’ll grab the condoms and lube.” Alec says, matter of factly. 

Magnus certainly isn’t going to complain. It gives him time to stare at Alec’s naked body before he gets to touch every inch of it. Magnus couldn’t be happier about the situation right now, definitely having fantasized about having sex in an office. 

“How would you like to do this? Do you still want me to…” Magnus trails off, nervous about pressuring Alec into something that he doesn’t want to do. 

“Fuck me? Yes please.” Alec says much too casually, not realizing just how much his words have affected Magnus. 

“Okay.” Magnus practically squeaks out, letting out a shaky breath. Alec pauses and looks up at Magnus, smiling brightly. If that smile happens to be the last thing that Magnus ever sees, he would be perfectly fine with that.

 

…

 

Alec’s beyond nervous. He’s about to have sex with  _ the  _ Magnus Bane, who’s sitting completely naked on his office couch. Alec wants him more than anything, smiling as he sees just how affected Magnus really is by everything. Of course, Alec is just as affected, but he’s chosen to be confident because Magnus deserves it. Magnus deserves someone who knows exactly what they want, and Alec knows that. He knows that he wants Magnus, even if it’s scary. 

He finishes grabbing the supplies from his desk, taking a deep breath before walking back towards Magnus, climbing on the couch in order to straddle his hips again. Before Alec can even say anything, Magnus is kissing down his chest, taking the lube out of his hands. 

“Are you sure you’re alright with this darling?” Magnus asks one last time, popping the cap on the lube, looking into Alec’s eyes. 

“More sure than I’ve ever been. I want this. I want you.” 

That seemed to be all the conformation Magnus needed as he squeezed quite a bit of lube onto his fingers. This was going to be messy, but Alec would be lying if he said he cared. Magnus moves his hands towards Alec’s entrance, rubbing soft circles before pushing in, making Alec gasp slightly. Magnus kisses Alec’s neck, biting lightly, attempting to distract him from the sting of Magnus’s finger. Alec relaxes, and starts to moan, needing more from Magnus. So much more. 

“ _ Please.”  _ Alec moans, not exactly sure what he’s asking for. Magnus inserts another finger, which causes a bit more burn than the last. But then Magnus curls his fingers inside of Alec, hitting something that makes Alec want to scream with pleasure. 

Magnus smirks, “There it is.” He says, rubbing the small spot again. He continues to stretch Alec open, taking his time. Eventually, Alec is basically a moaning mess and rips the condom with his teeth, sliding it onto Magnus while Magnus continues to work him open. 

“I take that as you’re ready?” Magnus asks, chuckling a bit. 

“Yes. I need you, Magnus.” 

“You have me.” Magnus says, sliding his fingers out of Alec and placing his hands on Alec’s hips. Alec moves slowly, sinking onto Magnus, wincing slightly from the burn. He feels Magnus shudder underneath him, clearly using every ounce of self-control he has not to thrust up into Alec. Once Alec sinks all the way down, he sits there for a second, adjusting before lightly rocking his hips. It’s definitely a new feeling. Of course, he’d experimented by himself many times throughout the years, but feeling Magnus fill him is so very new and unexpected. And amazing. 

“Fuck, Alexander. You feel so good.” 

Alec doesn’t respond with words, but starts to rock harder, almost bouncing on Magnus’s dick. It all feels so good. And Alec can’t help but want it harder, want more. Once Magnus starts pounding upwards, matching Alec’s tempo, Alec can’t help but let out a loud moan that sounds a lot like Magnus’s name. He knew that Magnus was going to be good at this, but he still could never have imagined just how amazing it would be. Magnus shifts, sitting up, but still inside of Alec. He brings their lips together and kisses Alec harshly, slowing the pace for just a second. Something about this moment feels different, vulnerable. But it only lasts a second because Magnus shifts again, throwing Alec against the couch and starts fucking him in an upward motion, hitting the spot that makes tears form at the corners of Alec’s eyes. 

“M-Magnus, you’re amazing.” Alec practically sobs. 

Magnus picks up the pace again and soon there’s a symphony of moans coming from the two men as they both chase their orgasms. After a minute, Alec feels Magnus’s movements start to become erratic and unplanned as he reaches his hand between them and grips Alec’s cock. He works and pounds into Alec until their both crying out, making an absolute mess of Alec’s chest and couch. Alec, again, can’t really find it in him to care. He sees stars, never having experienced anything like this before. And he never wanted to until Magnus. 

After they both come down from their high, they’re left panting and sweating. Magnus lays on top of Alec, clearly physically drained not just from the mind blowing sex, but also from the past two days. He slowly pulls out of Alec, making them both wince. Alec is going to feel this all day, and it makes him smile to think he’ll be constantly reminded of Magnus. Even if it hurts a bit. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go that rough the first time.” Magnus apologizes, clearly sensing Alec’s pain. 

Alec reaches up and places his hand on Magnus’s cheek, “It was perfect.” 

Magnus smiles at Alec, before frowning slightly and looking at Alec’s chest. 

“I’m going to assume you don’t have anything to clean up with in here.”

Alec groans, “Right. I guess I got so caught up that I didn’t think about it. We can just use my old shirt for now and then take a shower back at my apartment?” 

Magnus raises an eyebrow, getting up to grab the ruined shirt, “Already ready for a round two?” 

Alec chuckles as he watches Magnus chuck the used condom into the trash before cleaning them both up as best as he can, “I think I’d like to try it the other way eventually, so it’s really up to you.” Alec winks at Magnus and doesn’t miss the way that Magnus shivers. 

“Speaking of getting back to your apartment…” Magnus starts, realizing his earlier mistake, “How are we going to get out of this building without anyone noticing your incredible abs?” 

“Oh, don’t worry. I keep and extra set of clothes here. After my many years of late-night grading and falling asleep at the office, I’ve found that it’s easier to just keep clothes here.” 

Alec hops off the couch and fishes the clothes out of the cabinet next to his desk. Magnus has already thrown back on his scrubs by the time Alec has his belt done, and then he starts to button his shirt with shaky hands. 

“Here, let me help.” Magnus says, kindly, reaching to finish the buttons that Alec has been struggling with. Alec can’t help but feel so warm and domestic right now. He watches the way that Magnus bites is lip and furrows his brows in concentration while doing the buttons, clearly trying to act like he isn’t as affected by their previous activities as Alec. Once Magnus has done most of the buttons, Alec grabs his hand and kisses it gently, surprising Magnus. 

“Thank you.” Alec says softly. 

“For what my darling?”

“For being you.” 

Magnus smiles softly at Alec before pulling Alec towards him and kissing him. It’s slow, unhurried, and Alec melts into Magnus’s touch.

“Now, what do you say we get out of here, Professor?” Magnus smirks, mischief returning to his eyes, and Alec groans again. 

“If you keep calling me that I might take you right here on this desk.” Alec responds and it’s Magnus’s turn to groan.  

“Don’t tempt me.” Magnus winks before taking Alec’s hand and leading them out of the office. They walk with their hands intertwined all the way back to the apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what y'all thought of this chapter! I had a bit of trouble writing it, but I'm quite happy with the end result. I'm not exactly sure when the next chapter will be up as I just got a new job and I'm nearing the end of my college term. 
> 
> Thank you to my beta ShadowGirl548, you've been amazing <3


	15. Lost Forever in Your Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to get this chapter up! It's been a crazy month and I have been so busy.
> 
> Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter <3
> 
> **TW: drug abuse**

Magnus slowly blinks his eyes open, registering the warmth underneath his chest, before realizing that he got to spend another night wrapped in Alec’s arms. And Magnus couldn’t possibly be happier about that fact. 

After they headed back to the apartment building from Alec’s office, they took far too long in the shower before Magnus fell asleep cuddled up against Alec on the couch. After a couple of hours, Magnus was woken up by the smell of greasy pizza. They indulged in way too much pizza before indulging in one another again. 

They spent the rest of their evening tangled in Alec’s sheets before falling asleep. Magnus’s body aches, but he loves it. They had the opportunity to try it in every single way that Alec wanted and it makes Magnus shiver just thinking about it. He feels Alec stir underneath him and lets out a small moan against his lovers chest. 

“Good morning.” Magnus whispers, pressing light kisses against Alec’s collar bone. 

“Morning.” Alec mumbles, still not fully awake. After a minute, Alec shifts in order to look at Magnus.

“You’re beautiful.” Alec breathes, making Magnus’s heart swell. No one has ever looked at him the way that Alec is looking at him right now and he can’t help but feel like he’s looking at Alec the exact same way. Everything about this moment feels perfect. Alec presses a soft kiss on the top of Magnus’s head before pulling  Magnus up to him. They share lazy kisses and soft giggles until the blaring sound of Alec’s alarm shocks them out of their bubble. Alec groans, but gets up anyway. Magnus immediately misses the warmth of Alec’s body next to his but still let’s out a low chuckle when Alec winces with every step towards the dresser. 

“Are you a bit sore today, dear?” Magnus says coyly, batting his eyelashes at his boyfriend. 

Alec laughs before turning to look at Magnus again, “Yeah. I think I’m going to feel you  _ all day.”  _

Magnus shudders at Alec’s flirtatious tone, taking in every inch of Alec’s body before he covers it up with a stuffy, slightly-too-big, professor suit. An image of Alec trying to focus on his testing students rather than the aches from last night flashes into Magnus’s mind and he smirks. Two can play at this game. 

“It’s just too bad I’ll be all alone today. You can’t even  _ imagine  _ the things that I would do to you if you could stay.” 

Alec groans before slamming the dresser door shut and marching back over to the bed. He rips the blankets off of a very naked, slightly shocked, Magnus before straddling his lap and kissing the surprised look right off of Magnus’s face. After a couple of minutes, much to Magnus’s dismay, Alec pulls away, looking utterly fucked. They’re both so sore, but also can’t seem to get enough of each other. Alec runs his hands down Magnus’s chest, relishing in the feel of his boyfriends gorgeous and smooth skin.

“You make it so hard to leave.” Alec sighs, still very distracted by Magnus’s body.

“I wish that you could stay.” Magnus responds, much more wistfully than he had intended. 

“Me too baby,” Alec says, climbing off of Magnus again, “But they need me there today.” 

Magnus whines (since when did he get so needy?) but let’s Alec get up again. He immediately misses the warm body on top of him, but he knows that Alec has midterms this week. Magnus understands that Alec has a responsibility to his students to be there today, but that doesn’t mean that he has to be happy about it.

Magnus turns on his side and watches Alec’s perfectly sculpted form walk back over to the dresser. He may not be able to touch this morning, but no one could stop him from looking and appreciating. He watches Alec grab black slacks, a black button up and…

“Is that a burgundy jacket?” Magnus asks, completely shocked at how stylish the jacket is in comparison to Alec’s usual tan blazers. 

Alec turns around and smiles, “Yeha, I got this the other day. What can I say? You’ve inspired me.”  

“I’m touched, truly.” Magnus says, placing both of his hands over his heart, “I love it. Burgundy is a lovely color for your pale skin.”

Alec sighs again, raking his eyes up and down Magnus’s body, “if you weren’t so fucking gorgeous, it wouldn’t be so hard for me to leave for class.”

Magnus smirks, slowly sliding off of of the bed and walking towards Alec, naked body on full display. Alec sucks in a sharp breath as Magnus stalks closer. They  _ really  _ can’t keep their hands off of each other. 

“Here, let me help you with those.” Magnus says, starting to button up Alec’s shirt. As he’s doing the buttons, he leans in and starts kissing Alec, slowly and passionately. 

“How much time do you have before you have to leave?” Magnus whispers in to the kiss. 

“Half an hour.” Alec sighs.

“I can get plenty done in that amount of time.” Magnus smirks and drops to his knees. 

 

…

 

Alec is sitting up at the front of the class, trying to focus on watching to make sure that none of his students are cheating. His eyes keep flitting around the room, not focusing on anything in particular. He’s actively trying to keep himself in check, but he can’t help it. He can still feel Magnus all over him and can’t stop thinking about how happy Magnus makes him. The past few days had been a rollercoaster of emotions, but yesterday was perfect.  _ Magnus is perfect,  _ he thinks to himself. 

It still feels to early to say that he’s in love with Magnus, but Alec feels it. He feels it with every beat of his heart that he’s in love with Magnus. He won’t say it yet, not until he thinks that the love is mutual, but he knows that it’s true. 

“Professor Lightwood?” Alec is snapped out of his thoughts by a smirking Helen, standing at his desk. 

Alec clears his throat and leans forward,  “Ahem, Helen, yes. What can I do for you?”

“Well, it’s just that everyone has handed in their tests and you’re still here. I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay.”

Alec looks around the room and at his desk. All of the students, besides Helen and Aline, have shuffled out of the room and there’s a stack of papers sitting in front of him. Had he really missed all of that whilst daydreaming about Magnus?

“Oh, yes. I’m fine. Thanks for checking. How did the test go? Did it seem okay?” Alec asks, not really needing an answer. He’s just searching for something to talk about besides Magnus. 

“I think that test went well. It was fair. As long as people paid attention and studied, they should be fine.” 

“Right. Good. Thank you.” Alec feels incredibly warm and embarrassed about the current situation. Which, technically, he hasn’t been caught doing anything suspicious. He’s just afraid that somehow she knows what he was thinking about. The very dirty things he was thinking about. 

Right as Helen is about to wave goodbye to Alec, Aline pops her head out from behind Helen’s shoulder. 

“How’s Magnus?” she squeaks, taking Alec completely by surprise. He thought that Helen would ask, not Aline. 

“He’s-uh- he’s good. We’re good.” Alec stumbles over his words, his face turning bright red. 

Helen laughs, quite loudly, and pats Alec on the shoulder before taking Aline’s hand. 

“That’s good to hear professor Lightwood, real good.” 

They leave, hand in hand and whispering. Alec is almost 100% certain that he doesn’t want to know what they’re talking about and makes an active choice not to listen. 

Alec can’t help it, he’s embarrassed. He shouldn’t be acting like a horny teenage boy in front of all of his students. He just can’t seem to get Magnus off of his mind. Everything about Magnus makes him feel warm and fuzzy and  _ very  _ turned on. It’s becoming a problem, but he also can’t find it in him to care enough to stop.

Alec collects the tests and heads out to get some lunch before his next midterm. The next test is the last of his day, and then he gets to go home and hopefully find Magnus right where he left him. He decides to go ahead and start grading the tests while eating his lunch when he spots his sister waiting for him in the hallway. 

“Iz? Hey! What’re you doing here?” Alec calls out to his sister, when she turns towards him, his smile falters a bit. Her eyes are puffy and she’s not wearing any makeup. Her hair is disheveled and she has dark circles underneath her eyes. Alec runs up to her and envelopes her into a tight hug. Izzy immediately bursts into tears and Alec holds her even tighter.

“I’m such a screw up Alec.” Izzy whispers, and Alec pulls back a little to look at his sister. 

“You’re not Izzy. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Izzy sniffles and nods her head, “Can we talk in your office?” 

“Of course.” Alec smiles at his sister and takes her hand. They walk to his office in silence and as soon as they arrive he locks the door and leads Izzy over to the couch. He can feel the heavy air surrounding them, but he’s learned that Izzy needs the time to figure out what she’s going to say before she’ll say it. Pushing her will only make her close off even more. 

They sit for what feels like hours before Izzy finally says something. 

“I messed up,” Izzy sighs, tears forming in her eyes again, “I started using again.”

Alec’s eyes widen, tears also starting to spill down his cheeks. He goes to interrupt her but she raises a hand at him. 

“Please, just let me finish. I started using again a few weeks ago, nothing serious, just on the weekends. I don’t know why I started again, I guess that I just felt like I could distract myself from everyone around me being so happy and me still being hung up on the same girl that I was two years ago. Then, last week, I was using everyday again. It got bad and I know that Lydia was starting to notice, and so when she called me out I blew up at her. I blew up at her when I was high, Alec. After that day, I cut myself off cold turkey. The withdrawal was awful, but I asked Simon for help and he stayed with me.”

“You asked for Simon’s help?” Alec asks, honestly hurt that she didn’t call him. 

“I know that I should’ve called you, but it just seemed easier to wait until I was all better. Plus, Simon has experience with helping people through withdrawal.”

Alec recalls Simon talking about his mom’s past substance abuse problems, but it still doesn’t help the way that his heart feels. She could’ve called him instead. 

“I still feel like shit, but I’m over the worst of it but…” Izzy’s voice breaks, “Lydia hasn’t called or responded to any of my texts since I blew up at her. I really fucked up Alec. I’m so in love with her and she’s so mad at me, which she has every right to be, I’m just worried that she’ll never forgive me.” 

Alec wraps his arms around his sister again, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. 

“You always underestimate her. She’ll come around. She loves you.” 

“That’s the thing. She does love me. During our fight, she told me that she loves me and that she wants to be with me. And I told her that I didn’t care.”

Alec takes in a shaky breath, “Oh.”

“All that I want is to tell her how much I love her. How much I care about her. But she deserves so much more than a drug addict and that’s all I am. This relapse proves it, I really am just another junky who’s never going to actually get their shit together and quit for good. I’m weak and useless and I did all of this to myself.”

“Izzy, stop. You’re none of those things. Yes. you relapsed, but you’re going to get better. Lydia knows you better than anyone, and I bet that she knows you’re going to make it through this. You hurt her Izzy, but she loves you and you love her and there’s nothing the two of you can’t work through together. She was right by your side last time and she’ll be right by your side again.” Alec sighs, allowing himself to feel the weight of everything that’s happening, “You’re not weak Iz, I wish I was half as strong as you on your weakest day. You can beat anyone or anything.” 

“Except for this,” Izzy pauses, “It’s always gonna be there, like a shadow just waiting for me to let my guard down. 

“This isn’t your fight izzy, it’s ours. No one does this alone. And I know that you’ve heard all of this before but please, just be honest with the people that care about you. I’m here with you, every step of the way, and I know that Lydia feels the same. You just need to talk to her.” 

Izzy sighs, “I know. I’m just worried that I messed everything up with her. I want to be with her and I’m so worried that this stupid thing is going to get in the way of that.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

“You’re right. I just have to find a way to get ahold of her.”

“Do you want me to call her?” Alec asks.

“No, it’s okay. I have to do this part on my own. She needs to know how much I care about her.” 

“Alright, Iz. Please take care of yourself. I think you should start going to those groups again. I’m scared for you, and I need to know that you’re going to be okay.” Alec says, feeling pretty emotionally drained. 

“I went to one last night and I plan on going weekly again. I can’t promise that I’m okay right now, but I will be. I love you so much big brother.” 

“I love you too. Please go find Lydia.” 

“I will.” Izzy waves at Alec and walks back out the door. Alec sinks back into the couch, letting the tears flow down his face. He failed her. He should have been paying more attention. He shouldn’t have just brushed off the signs because he was happy with Magnus. 

Alec picks up the phone and calls Professor Underhill, “Underhill? Yes, hello. This is professor Lightwood. I’m sorry this is such short notice, but is there anyway you could monitor my class this afternoon? They’re taking a midterm so it won’t be hard. You can? Alright, thank you so much.” 

Alec hangs up the phone, puts the tests in his desk cabinet and heads out the door. He needs to talk to Magnus. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER HANNAH IS BACK BITCHES. Sorry about it. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the chapter in the comments and I promise that the next one will not take as long. I've already started the next chapter and I have more freetime now that I'm done with training at my new job. 
> 
> Thank you to ShadowGirl548 for always checking my chapters and freaking out about the new episodes of Shadowhunters with me <3


	16. Help Me Make it Through the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry that this chapter took a bit longer again. The chapters will probably be a bit more spaced out now because I'm a full-time student and have a full-time job, but I'll try to update as often as possible! There will probably only be a few more chapters left anyway :) 
> 
> I'm sorry in advance. I was in an angsty mood because all of the TV show Malec angst. 
> 
> **TW: Drug abuse/child abuse/homophobia**

Magnus hears the front door click and sighs. He already misses Alec and it’s been 

less than a minute since he left. Magnus decides that instead of moping around the apartment all day, he might as well make himself useful. He’s got quite a few hours until Alec will be home, and he intends to give his boyfriend a warm “welcome back.”

He throws on a pair of boxers and one of Alec’s ratty sweaters before making the 

bed. He fluffs the pillows and picks up the rest of the discarded clothes from last night. After he finishes tidying up the bedroom, he heads out into the kitchen area. He cleans up the mess from dinner and washes the dishes. He’s about to go through the kitchen to see if there’s anything he might be able to whip up for dinner to surprise Alec when there’s a soft knock on the door. 

Magnus walks over to the door to check who it is and he’s surprised to find Clary  standing on the other side of the door. Magnus takes a deep breath and slowly opens the door. 

“Hey Al- Oh. There you are,” Clary says, “I was just stopping by to see if Alec  had seen you. Clearly, he has.” 

Clary sounds sad and Magnus’s heart aches. The last time that they talked was  back at the hospital. 

“I’m so sorry, Clary. I plugged my phone in once I got back from work but I  forgot to pick it up yesterday. Alec and I… well we…”  Magnus doesn’t want to bring up deflowering Alec right now. Luckily, Clary cuts  him off before he can continue.

“It’s fine. Can I come in? We need to talk.”

“Of course.” Magnus steps aside, beckoning for Clary to come inside. 

Clary heads to the couch and sits down. Magnus sits in the chair next to the  couch, not sure how much contact Clary wants right now. They sit in silence for a while and Magnus feels the weight on his chest growing heavier with every moment that passes. There are a million scenarios swarming through his mind. “How could you?’” and “why didn’t you tell me?’” ring in his ears. Each scenario ends with Clary leaving and Magnus still being that asshole who didn’t tell her that her brother was back in town. Or that he married Camille. Or that he was in the hospital. Or-

“I’m sorry.” Clary blurts out. 

“What?” Magnus says, shocked out of his thoughts. None of his scenarios started  with Clary apologizing. 

“I’m so sorry, Magnus.” Clary apologizes again, on the verge of tears. Magnus  gets up and sits next to Clary on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.  “What on earth are you apologizing for Biscuit?”

“I shouldn’t have gotten so upset with you. You had to do multiple major  surgeries on your awful ex who’s married to your other awful ex and I just made the entire situation even shittier.” Clary’s voice breaks and she starts sobbing into Magnus’s shoulder. 

“Clary, you have every right to be upset with me. I should have told you.”

Clary lifts her head and looks at Magnus, “But what would it have changed? He  still would have gotten hurt and it’s not like we would have talked, even if I had known he was here.”

“But he’s your brother. Granted, he’s awful, but he’s still your brother. And imagining you running into him somewhere, completely unaware that he was in town, scares the shit out of me. I should have given you something, but I didn’t. You don’t have to apologize because you did nothing wrong. I just hope that you can forgive me.” 

“Of course I forgive you Magnus. I understand why you didn’t tell me.”

Magnus sighs, a weight lifted. 

“How is he doing?”

“He’s alright. He hasn’t woken up yet, but they said they would call if he does. I probably won’t go back there once he’s awake, but maybe I’ll change my mind.” Clary says, sounding pretty shaken from the whole experience. 

“That’s understandable.” 

“Anyway…” Clary starts, a small smile forming on her face, “By the way that you’re dressed, I’m assuming you finally popped the famous virginal Lightwood’s cherry?” 

Magnus scowls at her, trying to hold back a laugh, “I am a man of honor. Professor Lightwood and I’s relationship is strictly professional. I would  _ never. _ ” 

They both burst out laughing. Magnus may not have been in a relationship for a long time before Alec, but they both know that he is definitely not a saint.    

“So I take that as a yes? It’s about time that boy got laid. He seriously needs to lighten up sometimes.”

“Oh trust me, he’ll definitely lighten up now.” Magnus says, laughing again. 

“I definitely hope so. It sounded like he was about to bite Simon’s head off the other day when we went out for lunch.”

“Did the lovely Maia join you on this lunch?” Magnus asks coyly, watching as Clary’s face turns almost as red as her hair. 

“Maybe.” Clary responds, covering her face with her hands. 

“Biscuit,” Magnus says, taking Clary’s hands away from her face, “you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Especially not with me.”

Clary smiles brightly at Magnus and wraps him in a tight hug, “Thank you Magnus, I love you. I have to go, but I just wanted you to know that I forgive you.”

“Goodbye Clary,  have a lovely day.” Magnus squeezes Clary’s shoulder and then closes the door behind her. 

He goes back to looking through the kitchen for supplies for dinner and eventually decides on Chicken Alfredo. 

 

…

 

Magnus has the music on full blast, dancing while all he has on is boxers and a gray apron he found tucked away in the closet. He wants this meal to be perfect, to make Alec feel special when he comes home. Because if anyone deserves to feel special, it’s Alexander. 

Suddenly, as Magnus is stirring the heating alfredo sauce, the door opens slowly. He knows that it has to be Alec because he is the only one with a key. 

“Hello my darling, you’re back e- Alec?” Magnus says, eyes going wide, “Are you alright?”

Magnus sets down the spoon, noticing the puffy red eyes and the tears staining his dear Alexander’s face. After Alec doesn’t respond, not even looking up at Magnus, Magnus walks quickly toward him.  

“Alec, tell me what happened.” Magnus says, reaching to place a hand against Alec’s cheek. Alec quickly pulls away from Magnus, and Magnus immediately feels a stinging in his chest. It hurts to see Alec like this, especially when he won’t even allow Magnus to touch him.

“It’s all my fault.” Alec mutters, turning away from Magnus and heading towards the couch. He collapses into the big couch and begins to let out everything and nothing all at once, “I was too busy with my own life, my own happiness, with  _ you _ .”

“W-with me?” Magnus chokes out, not sure what Alec means by that. Magnus feels the pain in his chest grow heavier. Alec has never looked this upset and Magnus has a sinking feeling that it’s his fault. What had he done wrong? They were fine this morning. 

Magnus stays standing by the door, looking at his boyfriend. After Alec quickly turned away from him, Magnus is afraid to get too close. 

“Yes, with you. I got so distracted with you that I didn’t notice that Izzy was slipping and now Lydia might never talk to her again. Because I was too preoccupied with this fantasy of fucking you. It’s all my fault.”

“Alexander, just tell me what happened.” Magnus says calmly, trying not to be hurt by Alec’s words. Maybe having sex with Alec was a bad idea. Maybe Magnus should have never gotten involved with him in the first place. 

“Izzy relapsed. She was doing cocaine almost everyday for the past two weeks and snapped at Lydia when she confronted her. I should have known that it was happening again. All of the signs were there, and I missed them. I missed everything.”

Magnus slowly heads towards the couch, sitting next to Alec. 

“Alexander, there was no way that you could have known. This isn’t your fau-”

“Just stop it, Magnus!” Alec yells, getting up from the couch and pacing around the living room. “Of course it’s my fault. I’m her big brother. I’m supposed to look after her, take care of her. I’ve lived my entire life to look after the people that I care about, and I wasn’t there when she needed me. I should have noticed. God, I should’ve fucking noticed, Magnus!”

“Alexander,” Magnus says quietly, moving towards a shaking, angry Alec, “Please. You can’t blame yourself for this. I know that you take care of the people that you love, but you did nothing wrong. She’s going to get better, and you can help her with that. You are not to blame for her relapse, she’s the keeper of her own life, there’s only so much that you can do.”

Magnus tentatively sets his hand on Alec’s shoulder, he feels Alec tense with his touch but he does not turn away this time. Instead, he lifts his puffy, hazel eyes to look right into Magnus’s.

“Leave.” Alec says, flatly. 

“What?”

“I said leave.”

“Is that what you want?” Magnus asks, trying his best to keep Alec’s heated gaze. 

“Yes. I want you to leave Magnus.” Alec says, eyes leaving Magnus’s as he turns away, walking towards the patio. Magnus watches Alec open the door and step outside into the chilly air. Magnus turns around, his heart breaking with every step he takes towards the door. Alec was supposed to be different. Alec was supposed to cherish him. 

He places his shaky hand onto the handle and pauses.  _ No,  _ he thinks,  _ you’ve walked out on everyone in your life who cares about you. You are not going to walk out on him.  _ Because Alec is different, Alec does cherish him, he’s just in pain right now. Alec has lived his entire life for other people, constantly pushing them away when they get too close. Pushing them away when they start to discover that he’s not just a hollow shell. Magnus pushes his own hurt aside and turns around, walking quickly towards the patio doors. He steps out into the cold air and speaks. 

 

…

 

Alec feels the cold air seeping into his bones. Everything hurts. He just watched his sister fall apart and now he’s pushed away the one person who could possibly help him through this. But he can’t let Magnus see him like this, can’t let Magnus think that he’s weak. Magnus deserves someone strong and Alec isn’t strong. No matter what anyone’s ever told him, he’s never been strong. He closes his eyes, trying to cry out the rest of tears so that he can never cry again. So that he can never  _ feel  _ again. Suddenly, he hears footsteps behind him until he can sense that Magnus is standing right in the entryway to the patio. 

“No.” He hears Magnus say, flatly. 

“What?” Alec whispers, turning towards a defiant Magnus. No one has ever stayed when he’s pushed them away. No one has ever cared enough to. 

“I won’t let you do this alone. You can’t do this alone.” 

“Magnus,” Alec starts, looking into the most beautiful eyes that he’s ever seen,” Magnus I’m so sorry.” 

Alec reaches out for Magnus and takes him into his arms. Magnus feels tense, but still wraps his arms around Alec’s middle. How could he do this? How could he imagine hurting such a beautiful person? Something in Alec breaks, and he feels all of it. He feels Jonathan and his dad and Izzy and everything. He feels the constant pain of feeling like he wasn’t enough. Of feeling like there was something wrong. He feels the sting of the first time his dad slapped him across the face. He feels the pain of the first time that Izzy went to rehab. He hears the hurtful words, and the rejection, and the hate. He hears everything that he chose not to listen to because maybe it was important. Finally, he feels the pain of losing Magnus, or what it would be like to feel that. He feels the agony and the hurt and the guilt. He feels the worthlessness and the pain of twenty years that he never allowed himself to feel. 

But through it all, he feels something else. He feels Magnus. The caring, amazing, beautiful Magnus who brought something new into his life. Who brought acceptance, and beauty, and pain all at once. So even though Alec feels everything in him breaking apart, he can also feel Magnus putting it all back together. 

“I know, Alexander. I know.” Magnus whispers, tightening his grip on Alec, allowing himself to melt into Alec’s touch like he always does. Alec knows that this isn’t over, that he messed up. But somehow he also knows that everything is going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter <3 I know it was a bit rough but I hope that the end made up for it. 
> 
> How would everyone feel about a chapter from Izzy's perspective? I feel like her relationship with Lydia is pretty important in this fic so I think they deserve their own chapter. Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> As always, thank you to my lovely beta (and friend) ShadowGirl548. And thanks for always allowing me to go on my random Malec rants XD
> 
> Let me know how you felt in the comments and your theories for what's gonna happen next in Shadowhunters!


	17. Old Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter is about Izzy and Lydia but there's some Malec fluff at the end. I'm sorry that this chapter is a bit sad, I've just also been quite sad over Shadowhunters ending. I hope that everyone is doing okay and practicing self care <3
> 
> ***TW: Drug Abuse***

***Flashback***

Lydia hears the loud knock at the door, startling her awake. She looks over at the clock which reads 1:42 AM. She gets out of bed, wearing an oversized white t-shirt and a pair of light blue boy shirts. She groggily walks to the door, checking the peephole to see who it is. She sees Izzy standing outside of her apartment door, wearing a skin tight black dress with cutout shoulders and silver loops trailing down the sides of the front.  _ God, she’s beautiful _ , Lydia thinks to herself. She opens the door with a bright smile on her face. 

“Hey Iz-” she starts, but Izzy just walks past her and heads to the kitchen. 

“I need water.” Izzy says quickly. She grabs a glass from the cabinet, filling it with tap water and downing it all in one go. She slams the empty glass on the kitchen counter. 

“Isabelle, are you okay?” Lydia asks, slowly moving towards the kitchen. Something’s off, she can tell. 

“I’m fine.” Izzy says, defensively, as if Lydia accused her of something terrible. As Lydia gets closer, she starts to really take in the way that Izzy looks. Her skin is shiny with sweat and her ponytail is messier than usual. Her red lipstick is smudged at the top and her eyes are dilated. That’s when it all clicks. 

“Wait,” Lydia starts, “are you high?”

“What? Of course not!” Izzy immediately responds, not a hint of a lie in her voice. But Lydia knows her too well for that. She knows the panicked look in Izzy’s eyes, the one that’s trying to hide the fact that she’s lying. 

“You’re lying to me.” Lydia says calmly, knowing that there’s no point in yelling at Isabelle when she’s high. 

“So what if I am?” Izzy steps towards Lydia, crossing her arms. 

“Isabelle-” 

“I don’t need your judgement right now, I’m an adult and I don’t need your permission to do what I want.” Izzy starts stomping towards the door but Lydia catches her arm. 

“Please, Isabelle. Just let me help you.” She wants to help. Needs to help.

“I don’t need your help!” Izzy yells, yanking her arm out of Lydia’s grasp. “You don’t care about me. No one does. Just leave me alone.” 

“How can you say that? Isabelle, you must know that I…” Lydia starts, walking behind Izzy as she continues heading towards the door. “I love you.”

Izzy freezes, her hand on the door knob. Izzy lifts her brown eyes, full of pain, to look into Lydia’s blue ones. 

“I don’t care.” 

Izzy turns the knob and slams the door shut behind her. Lydia feels her heart break with every step Izzy takes and then she feels it shatter into a million pieces as the hallway goes silent. Lydia collapses to the floor. She waited too long and now the love of her life has just walked out the door forever. 

***End of Flashback*** 

Izzy looks up at the daunting building staring down at her. It’s not particularly big or tall, but it’s what waits for her inside that makes it all so frightening. Lydia. The person who she’s pushed and pushed and pushed until she finally couldn’t take it anymore. The love of Isabelle’s life. 

She finally takes another step towards the door. She’s managed four steps in the past five 

minutes, so really she’s making progress. She feels like absolute shit, her body is still shaking and aches from withdrawals but she can’t not do this. She can’t let such a beautiful person slip through her fingertips. 

When she makes it to the door, she opens it with hesitation. The doorman greets her, knowing that she’s allowed here, given the amount of times she’s been here with Lydia. She gets into the elevator and presses the 5th floor button. It feels like the elevator takes an eternity, Izzy’s anxiety rising with every ding. What if Lydia doesn’t forgive her this time? What if she never gets the chance to hold Lydia in her arms? What if she never gets the chance to kiss her? What if, what if, what if? Izzy can’t help the way that her heart races with every floor, the closer that she gets to Lydia, the further she sinks into herself. She just wants Lydia to understand how sorry she is. To understand that the cocaine doesn’t matter more than her. That nothing matters to Izzy more than Lydia does. That she’s deeply and hopelessly in love with her. 

_ Ding.  _ Izzy stares up at the red five as the elevator doors open. Maybe she shouldn’t do this, maybe she should just turn around and accept the fact that Lydia will never forgive her.  _ No,  _ Izzy thinks to herself.  _ You’re not a coward.  _ She steps out of the elevator and turns to walk down the hallway. She counts the numbers on the doors, 510,511,512… until she sees the door that she’s looking for. 520. Lydia’s apartment. Lydia should be home, considering it’s her day off and it’s only the early afternoon. She takes a deep breath, knocks on the door, and waits. And waits. And waits until she eventually starts to think that Lydia really might not be there and contemplates leaving. That is until a makeup-free, puffy-eyed Lydia opens the door. She’s beautiful, as always, but it makes Izzy’s heart hurt to know that it’s her fault. It’s all her fault. They stand there in silence, just staring at each other. It’s Lydia who finally breaks the silence. 

“You look like shit.” Lydia says quietly, not fully meeting Izzy’s eyes. Izzy chuckles. 

“I guess I deserved that.” Izzy responds. Lydia steps aside, allowing Izzy to come inside. The air is tense and Izzy can tell that Lydia’s been cleaning all day. She always cleans when she’s stressed about something. Lydia follows Izzy inside but doesn’t sit down next to her on the couch. She just stands by the door, chewing on her thumb. 

“You deserve a lot more than that.” Lydia says matter-of-factly. Izzy has always loved Lydia’s no bullshit attitude. It stings, but Izzy knows that it’s true. 

“I know, I’m just…” Izzy sighs, “God, I’m so sorry Lydia. I acted like a fucking idiot. I hurt you and the last thing that I ever want to do is hurt you.”

“It’s not about me Isabelle, it’s about you. I trusted you to keep your word. I trusted you to come to me if things ever got bad again. I wanted to be there for you, to help you. But you just kept pushing me away.” Izzy feels the tears stinging her eyes, knowing that Lydia’s right. Lydia’s always right. 

“I wanted so badly to come to you. To tell you everything that was going on with me, but I was just so afraid of losing you. You mean everything to me Lydia. I would never forgive myself if I lost you, but I also understand if you never want to see me again.”

“Don’t do that,” Lydia says sternly. “Don’t make up my mind for me. I get to decide when I forgive you. Because you mean the world to me too. But I need to know that you’re getting help because Izzy, if I lost you…” Lydia’s voice breaks, cutting her sentence short. Izzy gets up and walks towards Lydia slowly,. She gently places her her hand against Lydia’s cheek, wiping away a tear with her thumb. 

“I’m going to start going back to those Wednesday night meetings again. Simon has offered to go with me, but I think it’s mainly just to make sure that I’m going every week. I haven’t used since that night and I won’t use again. I promise. I know that it’s going to take you awhile to trust me again and I’m so sorry that I put you through all of this again. I want to make things right, to make things better because Lydia I…” Izzy pauses, the words that she so desperately needs to stay caught in her throat. Lydia looks up at her, eyes glimmering in the afternoon sunlight. 

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

Lydia smiles, moving closer to Izzy. She rests one hand on Izzy’s waist and the other on her neck. Lydia pulls Izzy towards her, resting their lips gently against one another. They kiss slowly, allowing all of their emotions to seep into the kiss. Lydia tastes like strawberry chapstick and salt. It’s so much more than Izzy could have ever imagined. 

And for the first time in a long time, everything feels like it’s going to be alright. Life might not be okay right now, but it will be.  

 

…

 

“I know Alexander, I know.” Magnus whispers, trying to hide the fact that he’s trembling. Trying to be strong for Alec because that’s what he needs right now. Alec sobs into Magnus’ shoulder, clutching him as if he might disappear at any second. Magnus knows what it’s like. Not exactly, but he almost lost his friend Jem to addiction in high school. Magnus knows how much Isabelle means to Alec and he does not take their relationship lightly. 

Once Alec’s sobs simmer down to sniffles, he pulls away from Magnus, wiping his eyes. 

“I’m sorry Magnus. I don’t want you to leave.” Alec says quietly. 

“I know darling. It’s okay. Just please, when things get crazy, don’t push me away. I want to be here for you. And that means everything that comes with you, even the pain.”

“Magnus I…” 

“Yes?” Magnus asks, placing his hand against Alec’s cheek. He wipes away the remainder of a tear on Alec’s face and feels Alec nuzzle into his hand. Alec sighs and closes his eyes, relishing Magnus’s touch. 

“I love you.” Alec says. It comes out sadly, but Magnus knows that he means it. 

“I love you too, Alexander.” 

Alec opens his eyes, seemingly surprised at the words that just came out of Magnus’s mouth. 

“You do?”

“Of course I do. Why else do you think I allow you to bitch about stuffy professors all day?”

Alec laughs, a bright smile taking over his face, reaching past the pain in his eyes. 

“You’re something else, Magnus Bane.” Alec turns around and rests his arms against the railing, looking over the city. Magnus walks up next to him and places his hand on Alec’s shoulder. Alec turns his head towards Magnus and leans in for a soft kiss. It feels sad, but also hopeful. 

“Is Izzy going to be alright?” Magnus asks, tentatively bringing up the subject again. Alec sighs. 

“I don’t know. I really hope so, but she said some things to Lydia while she was high. I honestly don’t know what Izzy would do without her.” Alec looks out over the city, the sadness evident in his eyes again. 

“Oh. Well if I know anything, it’s that Lydia cares more about her than she realizes. I think that they’ll be okay…” Magnus pauses before asking his next question. “Are you alright?”

“I will be,” Alec responds. “I have you and I have my friends. And I still have my sister. I think that maybe we’ll all be okay.” 

“Good. Because I would very much enjoy it if you stuck around.” Magnus says, smiling up at Alec. 

“Yeah,” Alec whispers. “Me too.” 

Magnus kisses Alec on the cheek and grabs his hand, leading him into the kitchen. 

“Come on, let’s get some food in you.” 

Alec smiles back at Magnus, and Magnus’s heart swells. Maybe everything really will be alright for them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you all thought in the comments <3 I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. 
> 
> Also let me know what you thought of 3x22, I want to hear how everyone's feeling about it. 
> 
> Thank you to ShadowGirl548 for proofreading this fic and also being my friend <3

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter! I'm not sure how long this will be but I plan on posting weekly. 
> 
> (I am currently looking for someone to bet this work so if you're interested let me know :))
> 
> I'll be posting on my twitter when I update this so feel free to follow me if you'd like https://twitter.com/Malec_forever__
> 
> Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think!


End file.
